Heck, we have black bear in Maury County now! Dude got 'em on a trail cam !
Both @Clintos1980 and I appreciate the offer. We will have to talk more about your area.I am in Scott county TN and I am wanting to hunt some black bear. I know some areas to go if you all are able. It is in Pickett state park and it will be bow only unless they
I will bring a game cart if needed. But thanks for that tip. New info for me.Y'all gonna change your minds about bear hunting when you discover what it's like to get a 250 pound piece of Velcro out of the woods. They don't slide going downhill!
Will do. We have been trying to get something set up. I will post on this thread. Anyone interested in joining is welcome on my end.I would love to head east for a bear hunt! Let me know some scouting dates. I'll see what I can do to get over there.
Keep watch on this thread. I will post when and where we are gonna do some scouting.I'd definitely want to go
If it's for lack of owning a crossbow I can lend you one.I wanna go. I've never been...sounds fun. But would need to be a rifle hunt.
He is a good guyIf it's for lack of owning a crossbow I can lend you one.
There's that, and then there's that whole poking a bear with a sharp stick thing....If it's for lack of owning a crossbow I can lend you one.
It's definitely a lot of work. I carry a big bag and debone all I can in the woods. Last one I killed I hauled 110 pounds of debone meat out of the woods. I did leave a hindquarter whole with the sex organs attached. I dread killing one rug or wall worthy and having to get a hide out too. So far that hasn't happened but I know it's going to. I passed a very large bear last year during the dog hunt because it was several hundred yards down in a canyon! Not a holler a canyon!!Y'all gonna change your minds about bear hunting when you discover what it's like to get a 250 pound piece of Velcro out of the woods. They don't slide going downhill!
I keep forgetting about the new regs. When I used to chase them, they had to be brought out whole minus field dressing. They also had to be physically checked in at select locations. In other words, if the Polk county check station was closed, you might have to drive to Blount or Sevier county. Lots of meat ruined back then for things you couldn't control.It's definitely a lot of work. I carry a big bag and debone all I can in the woods. Last one I killed I hauled 110 pounds of debone meat out of the woods. I did leave a hindquarter whole with the sex organs attached. I dread killing one rug or wall worthy and having to get a hide out too. So far that hasn't happened but I know it's going to. I passed a very large bear last year during the dog hunt because it was several hundred yards down in a canyon! Not a holler a canyon!!
I can imagine a lot of bears were passed or didn't get checked in back then.I keep forgetting about the new regs. When I used to chase them, they had to be brought out whole minus field dressing. They also had to be physically checked in at select locations. In other words, if the Polk county check station was closed, you might have to drive to Blount or Sevier county. Lots of meat ruined back then for things you couldn't control.
The place where I hunt, the guy has two tractors. Works great for big wild boar too! Now there are some ravines that are going to be a pain in the buttocks if one goes in there.Y'all gonna change your minds about bear hunting when you discover what it's like to get a 250 pound piece of Velcro out of the woods. They don't slide going downhill!
Well, I have never personally seen a feral hog on government land, but that is probably just me. Where I see them is where I can legally bait them. That is why I have so many bears raiding my feeders. I've had four of them destroyed over the last two years. Now I hang them in a tree. Hanging them in a tree keeps them from being destroyed, but they still stake it out. Then only the biggest boars will come into the feeder, the ones that are nearly as big as the bear.I really appreciate all of the info posted here. I am just now checking after being away for a bit. Lt. Dan and I talked last night and we're lining up a time to meet up next month and come up with a plan for the fall. I'm sure one, or both, of us will be reaching out here when we get our thoughts together as Dan mentioned above.
Does anyone know the likelihood of seeing feral hogs in the East TN mountains? We're looking at spots there, and I've read several posts where bear hunters killed hogs while they were still hunting or stand hunting. I just didn't know what percent chance of seeing one really was. If we don't find bear sign, it may be an option to change to. I've hunted them in GA.
Hope all the dads here have a great Sunday. I'll be smoking a doe roast and wild pig roast to make BBQ!
Good to know. I've shot 2 in the past few years, both on preserves (which I won't do again, but it was a fun experiment with some non-hunting friends). One was apparently a true wild boar, and the other was a feral pig (mixed). The pig tastes just as good as any pork I've bought from a store. The boar tastes like absolute garbage - I made sausages, meatballs, all kinda fancy stuff with it, and it just has what I guess people call "boar taint".Well, I have never personally seen a feral hog on government land, but that is probably just me. Where I see them is where I can legally bait them. That is why I have so many bears raiding my feeders. I've had four of them destroyed over the last two years. Now I hang them in a tree. Hanging them in a tree keeps them from being destroyed, but they still stake it out. Then only the biggest boars will come into the feeder, the ones that are nearly as big as the bear.
That's some solid adviceFor boar slowly stalk creeks with your feet in the water and the wind in your face.View attachment 182494