Squirle hunter
Well-Known Member
How has this managed area been. I haven't hunted there since 2000. Got drawed this year hopefully it ain't changed a whole lot. Anyone else drawn on this one.
Cheatam muzzleloader hunt
- Thread starter Squirle hunter
- Start date
Not this weekend but next weekend. Nov 7-9. I'll probably be there on that Friday and then my usual local spots on Saturday and Sunday for the regular muzzleloader opener. I've seen deer the times I've hunted there over the last few years; just nothing I either wanted to or could pull the trigger on.
Squirle hunter
Well-Known Member
Well I hope your hunt is better than mine. There was four went down and only two saw deer. Not many people was hunting but lots of truck hunters. Acorns are everywhere and deer seem not to be falling in love yet so they was not moving found plenty of sign just no deer to go with it.
DeerCamp
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2020
- Messages
- 4,669
I hunted it this year and last.
Last year:
I topo-scouted for months. Had 3 interesting spots saved. Skipped Friday due to hot weather, went in Saturday afternoon and second spot was open. Set up and killed a mature 10pt about 5:40. Wife passed a 100-ish 8 point next morning. Figured we did pretty good as only 2 bucks were checked the whole weekend. Lot's of trucks but didn't run into any hunters on foot.
THIS year.
Very different story. Couldn't make it Friday. Saturday afternoon went back to that same ridge I killed last year only to find 2 guys in a ladder stand already there wave me off. Wave and say sorry. Back out and head to another ridge.... spot a guy in a climber and back out again. Start walking to a new spot and guy passes me on side-by-side and tells me he is heading to the spot I was heading to. K, good luck. Finally found another spot about an hour before dark, then the rain moved in.
Next morning (Sunday) head back to that new spot, shortly after daylight here comes a guy climbing up in yet another ladder stand. So I got up and walked back to the truck. Text wife and she said lets get out of here. Bumped a small buck as I walked to her ground blind. We left and went to Waffle House and then came home.
Summary:
Overall slightly frustrating weekend, but I now realize last year we just got lucky and dodged the crowd. I wish there was a better way to "sock on the door" on public. Somebody must have dropped those first hunters off, because there's only one decent way into that spot and there were no vehicles parked there.
There were trucks (or in some cases minivans) parked at just about every gate. 450 permits awarded, but I have a theory that locals may apply for these tags just to keep others from hunting before the general season because (thankfully) there's no way that many show up. That would be 1 hunter every 40 acres. Not being able to access the WMA from the east side also makes for a much longer drive in there.
Really enjoy hunting up there though. Next year I'm going to scout a little more on foot before the season, and make sure to be there opening morning. Want to try to find some areas that are further from trails and will just be prepared to pack one out.
Last year:
I topo-scouted for months. Had 3 interesting spots saved. Skipped Friday due to hot weather, went in Saturday afternoon and second spot was open. Set up and killed a mature 10pt about 5:40. Wife passed a 100-ish 8 point next morning. Figured we did pretty good as only 2 bucks were checked the whole weekend. Lot's of trucks but didn't run into any hunters on foot.
THIS year.
Very different story. Couldn't make it Friday. Saturday afternoon went back to that same ridge I killed last year only to find 2 guys in a ladder stand already there wave me off. Wave and say sorry. Back out and head to another ridge.... spot a guy in a climber and back out again. Start walking to a new spot and guy passes me on side-by-side and tells me he is heading to the spot I was heading to. K, good luck. Finally found another spot about an hour before dark, then the rain moved in.
Next morning (Sunday) head back to that new spot, shortly after daylight here comes a guy climbing up in yet another ladder stand. So I got up and walked back to the truck. Text wife and she said lets get out of here. Bumped a small buck as I walked to her ground blind. We left and went to Waffle House and then came home.
Summary:
Overall slightly frustrating weekend, but I now realize last year we just got lucky and dodged the crowd. I wish there was a better way to "sock on the door" on public. Somebody must have dropped those first hunters off, because there's only one decent way into that spot and there were no vehicles parked there.
There were trucks (or in some cases minivans) parked at just about every gate. 450 permits awarded, but I have a theory that locals may apply for these tags just to keep others from hunting before the general season because (thankfully) there's no way that many show up. That would be 1 hunter every 40 acres. Not being able to access the WMA from the east side also makes for a much longer drive in there.
Really enjoy hunting up there though. Next year I'm going to scout a little more on foot before the season, and make sure to be there opening morning. Want to try to find some areas that are further from trails and will just be prepared to pack one out.
Yogi965
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the reports
kkh325
Well-Known Member
DeerCamp awesome report ! Thanks for sharing the information.
killingtime 41
Well-Known Member
Nowadays with all the YouTube videos of go deep. And all the videos on topo style terrain hunting. I don't even bother messing with saddles. Cause that's the obvious but usually you can see a truck parked there. I'm sure you were not expecting anyone to be there since you saw no vehicle. I've never hunted over there. But I do hunt public 99 percent of the time. I've had all my mapped spots with a truck in it before. So I just drive till I don't see nobody. Look on the map and try to pic the best spot. Not always do I have to do that. But I have in the past several times.
DeerCamp
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2020
- Messages
- 4,669
Yeah, it was frustrating but not from a "that was my spot" standpoint. Just picked the wrong area. Won't make that mistake again.
On other thing that makes it difficult. There are so many trails in there it can be hard to really "go deep". Might go 500 yards in and guy coming from other direction did the same.
