Two friends and I got drawn for the LBL rifle hunt this Friday to Sunday (27-29Oct). I put us in for Area 14 as part of it was family land just a few generations ago, booked some tent spots at Piney, and for months have been looking forward to making an old fashioned Deer Camp... but now in the last few days, the weather has turned and left us second guessing our approach. We're not seasoned hunters and have largely self-taught with magazine articles, Youtube, and sweat equity. I've spent a great deal of time in LBL while growing up as my Grandparents ran a campground there for 20 years, so I know what kind of country it is, but this will be the first time getting to hunt it; I'm used to Missouri. We're fairly mobile with lock on stands and willing to put in some miles; have spent hours with maps, but haven't scouted on foot.
With only 3 days to hunt, transitioning deer patterns, ~80 degree weather, a bumper acorn crop, and many other variables to factor in, we're having trouble picking an approach.
Hit with an information overload from all the opinions/articles/info online, how would you personally prioritize one stand site over another? What terrain would you key in on and when? Do you think the heat will drastically affect movement?
I'm just looking for some sound wisdom, not grid coordinates or directions. This is our first quota and not sure what to expect. With the 20 degree temp drop Monday, we're considering staying out with our bows.
Let me know what you think, is this just going to rely on luck? I'm here to learn, so I appreciate any info provided.
Terrain:
- 7405 acres; 100 person quota
- Split into two portions by a no-hunting rec center
- Primarily big woods ridge systems bordered by water; some conifer stands
- A few fields with mostly dry creeks leading there, some planted with corn
- Strong road system; most remote area being 1100yrds from the closest road
- 500 acre area (orange shading on map) decimated by 2019 tornado and currently being logged
Factors:
- South wind all weekend; heavy cloud cover; chance of rain; high temps
- Full moon Friday night
- 31 deer killed on TN side of LBL so far this season
- Heat keeps others away vs heavy hunting pressure?
- Get as far as possible from the roads vs hunt subpar terrain with fewer people (hunt the hunters approach)?
- Hunt based on food sources vs terrain features?
- Deer staying bedded all day due to heat vs desire to breed overrules?
Current Plan:
- find the thickest, nastiest cover and setup counter the wind
- get close to suspected bedding areas and secluded water
- I have specific spots picked, but not sharing them here
With only 3 days to hunt, transitioning deer patterns, ~80 degree weather, a bumper acorn crop, and many other variables to factor in, we're having trouble picking an approach.
Hit with an information overload from all the opinions/articles/info online, how would you personally prioritize one stand site over another? What terrain would you key in on and when? Do you think the heat will drastically affect movement?
I'm just looking for some sound wisdom, not grid coordinates or directions. This is our first quota and not sure what to expect. With the 20 degree temp drop Monday, we're considering staying out with our bows.
Let me know what you think, is this just going to rely on luck? I'm here to learn, so I appreciate any info provided.
Terrain:
- 7405 acres; 100 person quota
- Split into two portions by a no-hunting rec center
- Primarily big woods ridge systems bordered by water; some conifer stands
- A few fields with mostly dry creeks leading there, some planted with corn
- Strong road system; most remote area being 1100yrds from the closest road
- 500 acre area (orange shading on map) decimated by 2019 tornado and currently being logged
Factors:
- South wind all weekend; heavy cloud cover; chance of rain; high temps
- Full moon Friday night
- 31 deer killed on TN side of LBL so far this season
- Heat keeps others away vs heavy hunting pressure?
- Get as far as possible from the roads vs hunt subpar terrain with fewer people (hunt the hunters approach)?
- Hunt based on food sources vs terrain features?
- Deer staying bedded all day due to heat vs desire to breed overrules?
Current Plan:
- find the thickest, nastiest cover and setup counter the wind
- get close to suspected bedding areas and secluded water
- I have specific spots picked, but not sharing them here