Key attributes of a successful “trophy” hunter

[JCDEERMAN]

Before I get too old to physically do it, I'm seriously thinking about spending much of my next couple years deer hunting the Cherokee National Forest. Sure, I probably have better odds on many other WMA's for a higher-scoring mature buck, but, maybe, maybe not. Although the deer density there is very low, so is the number of hunters, and there appears to be much less antler high-grading of any bucks there.

I have been wanting to do the same. I do a lot of trout fishing in that area with my FIL. He grew up hunting the CNF and tells me stories of hiking for hours before daylight and encountering deer that he was sure never saw a human by the way they act. He killed a lot of good deer there. I keep telling myself I need to do it, but there just aren't enough days to do everything I want to.

 

[megalomaniac]

They don't miss when they have spent days and days afield and finally see a mature buck... like I did day before yesterday

 

[Snake]

The answer to your question largely depends on how you define a "trophy" buck.

For many, many years, kinda as "an aside", I've been very fortunate to be a hunter/manager of some large properties, and had the flexibility of time/job to hunt both those intensely managed "private" and numerous "public" lands.

I can tell you, I have a better chance at a top-end mature buck on public lands in TN & KY than I do on some very intensely managed private lands in TN. That's why I hunt both, near equally splitting my hunting time.

Believe it or not, some of the best opportunities in TN for a top-end mature buck may actually be on public WMA's that do absolutely nothing in terms of "managing" for top-end mature bucks. This is because so much of TN's private lands (and public WMA's) "better" deer management tends to produce more antler high-grading of younger bucks, than no "trophy" management at all.

Before I get too old to physically do it, I'm seriously thinking about spending much of my next couple years deer hunting the Cherokee National Forest. Sure, I probably have better odds on many other WMA's for a higher-scoring mature buck, but, maybe, maybe not. Although the deer density there is very low, so is the number of hunters, and there appears to be much less antler high-grading of any bucks there.

It's all about the totality of the experience, and "urban" shooting called "hunting" is not for me. I have similar sentiments regarding hunting many farmland areas, even though most farmland areas do offer greater odds than most largely forested and/or wilderness areas.

All I can say is you had be in great shape. We hunted a place up from Tellico called Cow Camp . We walked to where we all separated straight up the mountain for an hour and a half . If it was cold you sure enough was going to be wringing wet once you reached that area so once you cooled down you sure enough was going to get cold . We hunted a place past
Indian Boundary on top that we went down the mountain. Thing was we had killed two bucks that day , took us six hours of swapping out to get those deer out and believe me they where 1.5 year old bucks good thing they was several of us .

 

[Ski]

I'd be interested in knowing a percentage of trophy bucks killed on private land vs public.......

What I wouldn't give to be born into a family that owned a large farm in deer country, and the flexibility of time/job to hunt

Thats an interesting thought. I grew up in southern Ohio . My dad owned 20acres of mature hardwoods in steep hill country, surrounded by thousands of public acres. We also lived next to another giant public tract. We had all the public land hunting anyone could possibly want, and my older brother killed an awful lot of giants. I'd say no exaggeration he's tagged many dozens of 150+ and a handful of legit monsters well over booner class.

That said, the guys hunting the river bottom ag fields did better. A lot better. Large tracts of private ag in that area produces truly world class deer. Those lucky enough to own or have access to such farms, and a knack for hunting big deer, certainly have an advantage. There's no doubt a guy can score a real giant on public. But in my life I've seen the biggest of the big consistently come from private.