Hunting a WMA (john Tully & Shelby forest )

[bfowler02]

Hi Guys,
I'm wondering the specifics of hunting a WMA . Is it like a state forest where you would just park and go find a hunting location or is there some type of check in area where they can log the locations of other hunter etc... I have not had much luck searching these questions. Thanks in advance for the info

 

[bfowler02]

Back in Michigan from what I remember it was just park and go hunt granted I was young with my dad but I'm kinda thinking it's the same here.

 

[Andy S.]

John Tully WMA is park and go hunting seven days a week as long as hunting season is open. Shelby Forest is park and go hunting, but you can only hunt Mon/Wed/Sat, and no rifles. Read the 2021 TWRA Hunting & Trapping Guide closely and call TWRA Region One (1-800-372-3928) and leave a message for Game Warden to call you back if you have detailed questions.

 

[Spurhunter]

Shelby Forest is park and go hunting, but you can only hunt Mon/Wed/Sat, and no rifles.

Do you still have to have the tag thing on your dash or did they do away with that?

 

[Andy S.]

Do you still have to have the tag thing on your dash or did they do away with that?

Yes, can get at SF Visitor's Center. It's a free permit that takes 5 minutes to get, and it must be displayed on the dash when hunting. You need your hunting license when you stop in and get it. Call 901-876-5215 to get more details.

 

[bloodtrailing]

Thread of the month. Guy needs help, straight up advice provided. What used to happen on here.

No name calling, politics, or viral comments.

 

[Spurhunter]

Back in Michigan from what I remember it was just park and go hunt granted I was young with my dad but I'm kinda thinking it's the same here.

FYI, If you are from up north you may not be prepared for the mosquitoes at Shelby Forest and Tully. They are brutal. Those swampy river bottoms are perfect breeding grounds for them. When I turkey hunt either place I carry two thermacells. Whatever you normally do for mosquito control, double it.

 

[Andy S.]

^^^ Sage advice for sure about the monster mosquitoes in the MS River bottoms, especially when it is warm and muggy. Some of them big enough to have a license plate on their hind end.

 

[Shed Hunter]

I'm new to the area too. I've done a few jobs in the forest and ran into some TWRA employees at a gas station by the Shelby Forest. I showed him some pictures of big deer and he said there are some like them in the Shelby forest.

Will eventually get around to scouting it

 

[Spurhunter]

^^^ Sage advice for sure about the monster mosquitoes in the MS River bottoms, especially when it is warm and muggy. Some of them big enough to have a license plate on their hind end.

I saw one stand flat footed and have relations with a chicken!

 

[clwg97]

I saw one stand flat footed and have relations with a chicken!

That is always how I have heard them described. And they definitely fit the bill.

 

[bfowler02]

John Tully WMA is park and go hunting seven days a week as long as hunting season is open. Shelby Forest is park and go hunting, but you can only hunt Mon/Wed/Sat, and no rifles. Read the 2021 TWRA Hunting & Trapping Guide closely and call TWRA Region One (1-800-372-3928) and leave a message for Game Warden to call you back if you have detailed questions.

Thanks for the great info ! I'll save that number

 

[bfowler02]

Yes, can get at SF Visitor's Center. It's a free permit that takes 5 minutes to get, and it must be displayed on the dash when hunting. You need your hunting license when you stop in and get it. Call 901-876-5215 to get more details.

Is this also the case at John Tully as well ?

 

[Spurhunter]

Is this also the case at John Tully as well ?

No. Nothing other than the proper licenses needed at Tully.

 

[TN Whitetail Freak]

Of the 2 shelby forest sounds better, John Tully has been revenged with a buck harvest increase of 83% from 2019 to 2020 because of the dumb CWD regs and state strategies to eliminate all deer. It was a great place.

 

[timberghost35]

I honestly think Mosquitoes are immune to Thermacells in Tulley… I know for a FACT the bill gnats are. They are horrible… usually a lil vanilla or Victoria Secret perfume does the trick tho. (The Victoria secret was a "secret" from playing baseball in Louisiana)…

There used to be some monsters at Tulley. I'm sure there still are, but not like it used to be tho.

 

[UpperTully]

Tully was literally a war zone last year and will be this year too.

TWRA is more detrimental to Tully than CWD is.

 

[bfowler02]

Tully was literally a war zone last year and will be this year too.

TWRA is more detrimental to Tully than CWD is.

Can you elaborate more ? I assume you mean just the number of hunters at John Tully

 

[cg02175]

Of the 2 shelby forest sounds better, John Tully has been revenged with a buck harvest increase of 83% from 2019 to 2020 because of the dumb CWD regs and state strategies to eliminate all deer. It was a great place.

I couldn't have said it better myself. Tully is now a brown it's down zone, which is terrible. CWD regs and state strategies have screwed it up.

It went from being a 9-point or better WMA to where now you pretty much shoot anything.

 

[UpperTully]

Can you elaborate more ? I assume you mean just the number of hunters at John Tully

Tully has been managed with an antler restriction for nearly 15 years and under very restrictive doe harvest for the past 5-10 years. While the type of antler restriction/management approach wasn't optimal it did have a positive effect. There has been a number of good deer killed off the WMA but since TWRA discovered a single cwd positive deer near the bluff, all those years of management have gone to crap unfortunately. What once was a fine WMA is being destroyed with TWRA's negligent approach on CWD.

I cut my teeth in deer hunting these bottoms. I've seen Tully go through many changes from when Anderson Tully Co owned it, when the whole WMA was cut by ATCO, and sold to the Nature Conservancy about 20 years ago and transferred to TWRA ownership. I really saddens me to see what has taken place.

Typical of the Mississippi River bottoms, Tully has a low deer density, it's not loaded with deer. Usually a low harvest of 10-20 bucks and around 10 does harvested was common from year to year. Last year 70 bucks and 40 does were killed.

I hunted Tully hard last year and seen and heard a TON of pressure, more than I'd seen in 20 years.

I'd still hunt Tully over the Forest any day though! I live 20 mins from Shelby Forest and just can get into hunting that place.

 

[DaveB]

I hunted Shelby Forest for several years. The mosquito warnings are insufficient. You must wear gloves, a neck gaiter, two pair socks, duct-taped pants legs, and pray it doesn't rain. Muck boots are another great idea.

I got caught on the wrong side of a ditch and was honestly looking for a tree to climb. These are lowlands and a little rain will start floating leaves. A hard rain, you start thinking about a life preserver.

Do not shoot a turkey. There used to be tens of millions of them but I hear they are all gone.