Laurel Hill WMA

[CJM1284]

I've applied for my first Quota Hunt, 2 hunts actually, on this WMA. I know nothing of it other than what I have heard from a friend who hunted it for the first time last year.

Any helpful advice on this WMA or the area in general would be appreciated.

 

[tiecampdeerslayer]

Good luck to you. I've also applied for this hunt. Unfortunately I've never hunted this WMA but looking forward to scouting. I'll be looking at google earth to locate a few areas that look good from above, then I'll hit the woods scouting.

 

[Devin2009]

Tough hunting not to awful many deer but in places their are some good numbers coming back from ehd a few years ago. I've killed a couple of does in early bow season but I have not had much luck seeing a shooter buck. I know their are some giants around their I have seen some real good ones killed off of the land.

 

[catman529]

They logged a big portion of it last year should have some good cover in there by now. I've seen a few deer there never killed one yet and haven't seen any bucks yet but I mostly just hunt the early archery for a doe. Lots of timber there


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[ImThere]

They logged a big portion of it last year should have some good cover in there by now. I've seen a few deer there never killed one yet and haven't seen any bucks yet but I mostly just hunt the early archery for a doe. Lots of timber there


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Gonna change that this year!!


Sent from my
Sit drag, Ernie's outdoors linesman belt,
At 20' up

 

[catman529]

They logged a big portion of it last year should have some good cover in there by now. I've seen a few deer there never killed one yet and haven't seen any bucks yet but I mostly just hunt the early archery for a doe. Lots of timber there


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Gonna change that this year!!


Sent from my
Sit drag, Ernie's outdoors linesman belt,
At 20' up

yes there will be a gut pile or two


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[Beaver86]

I hunted there early bow season. Didn't see a buck or very many old rubs but with the loggin and tornado blow down there should be plenty of cover to draw in some good deer.

 

[FARMTOFIELD]

Pretty much a waste of time of the gun hunts, with antler restrictions

 

[Hardwoodmaterials]

I have hunted there a bunch since I only live about 15-20 minutes away. I usually do a lot of fishing and squirrel,rabbit and dove hunting over there. To be honest I quit putting in for the deer hunts on that place 5-6 years ago. In 20 years I haven't laid eyes on a legal buck and haven't seen enough does to make me want to hunt them. I will say when you go stay away from the fields because yahoos will be setting around and walking all over them during the deer hunts! Also remember you can't have a gun on the Natchez Trace so make sure your travel route avoids getting on it.

 

[CJM1284]

Well, I was fortunate enough to draw the Nov 10-12 hunt. What is the terrain like on this WMA? It looks like mainly open hardwoods with a few fields/openings.

 

[Oak]

Beautiful place, but lots of old timber and not much forage. Definitely not the numbers of deer that were there when I was younger, but there is always a good buck or two taken each year.

A tornado went through a couple years ago (and maybe even one last year) and they cleared a lot of that off, so there are some large fields and openings now.

As someone already said, the field edges may be covered up with other hunters.

Good luck!

 

[TNGunsmoke]

Also remember you can't have a gun on the Natchez Trace so make sure your travel route avoids getting on it.

That rule changed in 2010.

https://www.nps.gov/natr/learn/manageme ... policy.htm

Tennessee State Law Synopsis (Mile Post 344-444)

Any firearm that is legal to possess under state law may be carried in your personal vehicle while traveling on the Natchez Trace Parkway, possession of handguns requires a valid state permit.
Any firearm that is legal to possess under state law may be carried on your person while outside of your vehicle, handguns require a valid state permit, while within the boundaries of the Natchez Trace Parkway.

 

[ImThere]

Also remember you can't have a gun on the Natchez Trace so make sure your travel route avoids getting on it.

That rule changed in 2010.

https://www.nps.gov/natr/learn/manageme ... policy.htm

Tennessee State Law Synopsis (Mile Post 344-444)

Any firearm that is legal to possess under state law may be carried in your personal vehicle while traveling on the Natchez Trace Parkway, possession of handguns requires a valid state permit.
Any firearm that is legal to possess under state law may be carried on your person while outside of your vehicle, handguns require a valid state permit, while within the boundaries of the Natchez Trace Parkway.

ask Nimrod777 if this is fact! Lol


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[CJM1284]

This is obviously quite an old post, but I haven't been to the forum in a while so I thought I may as well write a little about my experience at Laurel Hill WMA on the quota hunt for Nov 10th-12th this year.

I was only able to get up for 2 afternoon sits, but they were exciting sits with lots of activity. Saw a nice shooter 8 point on the first afternoon a good distance away that just never presented a shot. In all I saw about 10-15 deer combined both sits, 2 or 3 bucks and the rest does. Bucks were definitely pushing the does by my observation, as most every deer I saw was a doe in a steady trot with a buck not far behind. Fun time in the woods.

I came up and bow hunted the early archery season in the same area (roughly) that I hunted during the quota rifle hunt, and I saw nothing at all. As most folks know the acorn crop was tremendous this season, and I think that had the deer locked up in small pockets. By the time the quota hunt rolled around the does were coming into estrus I guess and that had the bucks up and moving.

In closing, I've read some on here about those saying that Laurel Hill isn't what it used to be in terms of deer numbers or quality of hunting. But in my experience I put in the time to come up and scout, find fresh deer sign, observe the terrain around the sign, and the only way it could have paid off any better was to put that 8 point in the truck on my way out. Compared to the public land I hunt in Alabama, Laurel Hill is a literal dream. In fact, it was a better experience than I've had on the majority of private lands I've hunted in Alabama. Can't wait to apply again next year and get after them again!

 

[Duck dogn]

Cj I've put in and got drawn every year since 2000 we will have to keep each other updated! I'd be glad to meet people from this site. Iv hunted there several years seen some good deer but never harvested a buck had to let some very nice 7 and 8 points go back in the 9 point no spread rule, now I can't seem to see a good deer there. I hunted the gun and muzzleloader draw this year seen bucks all four sits and in the holler by buddy hunted someone killed a very nice nine point the Fri morning before he hunted sat.

 

[Smo]

Guys I know this really old news but I hunted some on LH back in the early 90's.

I saw the largest Buck I've ever seen anywhere on that Management Area.

Like CJM I had always hunted Management Areas in N. Alabama as well as public land in both Al & Tn.

LR was like a Dream Land for Hunters.

I bow hunted it a couple years , along Peter Cave Creek behind the dam about a 1/4 mile.

Back then it was hard woods with adjoining waist high pines and sage grass.

Got drawn on one rifle Quota hunt.

I'm up a tree an hour before daylight.

As day breaks I here noise to my right...... it's an A~Hole climbing a tree about 100 yards down the ridge from me...

I whistle at the Guy , He waives back and keeps climbing.

I'm thinking what a Dummy. Hopefully He'll leave early as I settle in to hunt.

At 11:00 He's still there , we've hard 7 does pass between us during that time .

I climb down ready to go somewhere else and here He comes asking "How many deer did you see?"

What a D.A. That was the last time I ever hunted LR.

 

[CJM1284]

Smo that is hilarious and somewhat similar to what happened to me on my first evening there, and coincidentally was the same evening I saw that good buck. I pull up to my spot, see another truck and immediately have that sinking feeling we all know. I put my clothes on, put my climber on my back and start heading in, expecting to find the other hunter close to where I wanted to go.

I get about 100 yards down the entry road into the particular area I'm walking into, and I see orange up a tree about 10 yards off the road sitting over a scrape in the middle of the road with his Tinks bomb hanging directly over the scrape. I had to laugh quietly to myself, wave to let him know I'm coming. When I get to him I quietly as possible let him know that I'm going several hundred yards on past him. He seemed aggravated that anyone else would be there. I wanted to tell him if you don't want to see other hunters on public land hunts, it's probably a good idea to not set up shop on the road 100 yards from your truck.

I ended up seeing 2 bucks, one being the shooter, and 5 does that evening. He was already gone when I got back to the truck at dark. Guess his spot didn't work out for him!

 

[Smo]

I have thought about going back down to LH and check it out again one day.

I hunted a farm around Henryville back then too. It held some nice Bucks as well.

 

[Smo]

I was scratching around in some old, needs to be thrown away paperwork today and found an old LH map.

I'm sure the boundaries have changed over time.

LOL I guess I should have put my glasses on.... could someone flip it over Please. :bash:

Thanks

 

[tn24]

Here you go.

 

[Bone Collector]

The last time I was there was 2010. I have not been back since as I have been putting in for PI. I never saw a shooter, but passed several does and saw lots of small bucks. If they logged it like others have said, that is going to be good for the deer as there was a lot of mature hardwoods when I was there.