Attention Yahnali Hunters

[BrokenArrow]

Just a heads up to those hunting Yahnali. Be very careful!! There are what seems to be an overabundance of hunters this year. I had to leave my spot after hearing bullets ricochet through the trees over my head opening day. Had 4 people after daylight pass within 50 yards of me. I live in the middle of this WMA and the road traffic is worse this year than years past. I have seen both the county and the State responding to calls out here and literally truck loads of anxious hunters clad in orange. There are homes in the area that are very close to some of the busiest areas..mine included. Hunters from out of town that do not know the area..THINK BEFORE YOU SHOOT!!! A BULLET KNOWS NO BOUNDRIES!!! If you are unsure of your surroundings, spend some time learning more about the residential areas and there location in regards to where you hunt.Everyone would like to kill a trophy or even just get some meat for the freezer. Don't get caught up in the testosterone overload and let it cloud your better judgement.
I have hunted this area since before it was even classified as an WMA, and I have to say this is the busiest I have seen it yet.

I wish you all a safe successful hunt.

 

[UTGrad]

Wow!!

Deer ain't got a chance.

 

[BrokenArrow]

Yea they do. They will all go to Florida til this is over....LOL!
Seriously.. alot will go totally nocturnal eventually. The rut will still be a good time I believe but it will slow way down a little after Thanksgiving.
This is just an example of what happens when people can no longer afford leases and have been displaced from private.
Maybe we need to go archery only awhile on Yanahli or even a drawn hunt for rifle kinda like LBL ?
The hunter traffic will slow a bit after Thanksgiving.
Wear your orange UTgrad if ya go and Good Luck!

 

[catman529]

Thanks for the heads up.

I hunted Yanahli yesterday with Nimrod. The spot we hunted was free of hunters except for the two of us, and the area manager who showed up right after I shot a deer. I also did not hear a whole lot of shots in our area. I had the same spot to myself opening day last year. I know there are a couple of places on yanahli to avoid, usually the larger tracts near the main roads or the tracts that have WMA roads going right through them (easy access with lots of land is the key).

 

[BrokenArrow]

I am gonna start going to some of those out of the way places too catman. There is a camping area off hwy 50 east that was loaded with hunters. Good luck and be safe!

 

[catman529]

Yanahli was pretty low on hunters during archery too. Gun season is when the army comes. At 4am the Waffle House on bear creek pike by the interstate was loaded with hunters. Headed into the woods smelling like hash browns and grease. But then I didn't use any scent control either and passed a small buck and shot a doe.

 

[Nimrod777]

As in all public land, it pays to pattern the hunters just as much as to pattern the deer. As catman said, it was a quiet morning where we were, but it was a hard walk to be there. Where I hunted in the evening was also quiet. One other hunter on probably 150 acre area. I eased into the area, set up, and put an extra orange vest on a shrub where it would be very visible to anyone entering the area from 200 yards away. I don't know that anyone actually came in, but if they did, they wouldn't have come in on me because of that vest.

Hope you stay safe. Maybe I'll get a chance to meet ya before season is over and we can compare some notes, find you a safer area to be.