the deerslayer
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 22, 2002
- Messages
- 997
I got drawn for chuck swan April 7-9. Thinking about camping at the entrance of the property. Anybody gone this route? Pros/cons? I'm really looking forward to hunting this place!
Wow, I haven't heard it called that in 30 years! lol Our dad used to drive down there a lot in the 1960s and 1970s scouting. On the weekends we stayed with him, we would go with him and always saw deer. Through the late 1970s and early 1980s, that was probably a person's best chance of getting a deer here in upper East Tennessee.The old Central Peninsula. I deer hunted there once over thirty years ago and swore I would never go back. Younggun is right, it is a race when they open the gate. Not trying to discourage you, go hunt and enjoy.
If you've gotta be first I suppose you can sleep in the truckWhat time do they start lining up? Is this gonna be the terrestrial version of the Arkansas boat races???
I'm gonna scout at least one full day sometime mid March, ish. I'll probably stay with family in the area & have a 30ish minute drive. Don't know I may try and camp out there but with having to quit at noon I may as well go fish or visit the fam in the afternoon. I don't have high expectations for killing but I don't get to hunt places like this much anymore so It'll be a good time.
Like I said in another thread this is where some of my family were displaced by TVA so I'm excited to go hunt it for no other reason than that.
I ain't gotta be first. Just wondering how big a circus it's gonna be.If you've gotta be first I suppose you can sleep in the truck
Some campers will park at the gate before going to bed, if you want in the top twenty be there no later than 3:30-4I ain't gotta be first. Just wondering how big a circus it's gonna be.
That's what I'm thinking, at least for day one.The other approach is just let the blast off get out of the way and ease in wherever no one is parked! Avoid the madness! Even if your first to a spots some guys will pull in right with you. I have done it both ways, just a matter of how you want to approach it.
That was pretty inconsiderate of them.Last 2 times I was drawn I arrived at 230 am the first time and was 20-30 trucks in front of me, the last time was the last year it was a bonus buck, got there at 130am and there was a truck blocking the gate, couldn't see if anybody was in it or not, about 5am and the line was out of site a car passed everybody and let 2 guys out at the gate, they climbed in the truck, had I known about that he would have had the air let out of a couple tires. That was and will be my last hunt for any big game there, lot of tree stands that have been there forever and would bet if you set in 1 somebody would be along and tell you it was theirs