Okay so next week I have 3 FULL days off and was wanting to go somewhere besides my little place I hunt. That leaves me with public land. So, my question is does Gallatin steam plant have a good population of deer? worth going? I live 30min away. Or is cheatham county a good place, I know its really big but has anyone had success out there? Or any other suggestions within about 1-2 hours away from sumner county. I know I need to scout, but im going to use my maps and get a general spot picked out and if I have to ill use 1/3 days to look around.
Hunting public land
- Thread starter Austin95
- Start date
Steam plant has had great success in the past, but this year it is down to 200 or so acres. I imagine most people chose not to go this year, otherwise you would have to climb in the same tree with someone else and just face a different direction.
Cheatham is huge. I would say a much smaller deer population, but MUCH less pressure. With it being the third week, I would bet every square inch of the available steam plant land has been walked. If it were me, I would go to Cheatham, or check into Priest or Cedars of Lebanon.
Cheatham is huge. I would say a much smaller deer population, but MUCH less pressure. With it being the third week, I would bet every square inch of the available steam plant land has been walked. If it were me, I would go to Cheatham, or check into Priest or Cedars of Lebanon.
Austin95 said:
Honestly don't know. If all the regulars hav already been there I wouldn't waste my time. If the new construction (size limitation) has scared them off it may be the spot to be. The safe zones are 10 times bigger than they have been in the past, but they also have construction workers tooling through them most days so it is hard to say. I havent been there this year and don't intend to.
I've decided I'm going to try a spot in gallatin one morning, then a another that night. If no luck then I'll probably make a drive to cheatham and try that, since its huge, I'll probably hunt the morning, scout midday. Hunt that evening. But If I go to cheatham I'll probably just use that as a learning experience for next trip.
dsa5455
Well-Known Member
CHEATAM. It's really big and during the week you will have a lot of land to yourself. There is a campground that usually has some seasoned hunters that come every year and just stay the week and hunt. They probably will not give up their honey holes but I have found them to be helpful with what they think the deer are doing. The ranger station with maps is right there on the property. Hope this helps.
Buccaneer
Well-Known Member
Even when GSP was its former self and they only gave out 50 permits per weekend hunt I hunted the strip south of Odoms Bend between the gate on the right an the intersection of Old Odoms Bend and the house/junk yard on the right. I killed a truck load of deer within 100 yards of that guy's back fence and the rail tracks.
However, I have killed several truck loads of deer in Cheatham hunting week days when I had the place almost entirely to myself.
However, I have killed several truck loads of deer in Cheatham hunting week days when I had the place almost entirely to myself.
Buccaneer
Well-Known Member
That's right Mag I forgot I'm thinking of Old Hickory WMA not GSP. Austin95 - when it comes to Cheatham, don't think about total size of the area. Get yourself a good topo map and study it. When I moved to this area in 1998 both my kids were still hunting with me and I had real concerns about how to tackle Cheatham. Before I learned about GSP I had no other options. I selected a ridge line with a saddle in the middle and creek bottoms on both sides with a "less steep" point leading into the creek bottom at the end of the ridge. Any section of the property below the check station is rugged. I figured if I could find a ridge, locate white oaks on it, add a saddle and tapered slope into a bottom not only could I fairly easily hunt it but deer would likely rather climb and descend long slopes rather than steep banks.
The lesson here is that I hunted that one ridge totaling less than a square mile for 6 years and learned every square inch of it. I spent winters hunting squirrels there to learn the terrain with the leaves down. I killed four 8 points, a 6 point, no telling how many does and my kids killed bucks and does virtually every time they went. I only stopped hunting there because my kids took the military route an my "deer haulers" were no longer available.
Aim small, miss small and the deer are everywhere. Go in sit down and hunt the rut. You won't be disappointed.
The lesson here is that I hunted that one ridge totaling less than a square mile for 6 years and learned every square inch of it. I spent winters hunting squirrels there to learn the terrain with the leaves down. I killed four 8 points, a 6 point, no telling how many does and my kids killed bucks and does virtually every time they went. I only stopped hunting there because my kids took the military route an my "deer haulers" were no longer available.
Aim small, miss small and the deer are everywhere. Go in sit down and hunt the rut. You won't be disappointed.
