My dad has wanted to hunt either of these for years. He's never been able tomake it. I'm gonna take him next season for 4 or 5 days. Which one would a few of you recommend. I know that LBL is archery only but we are ok with that. Any suggestions?? Close by camping is a plus.
LBL or Cheatam WMA
- Thread starter Daniel n
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hunterncoach
Well-Known Member
think it depends on when he is coming...keep in mind that during the quota gun hunts at LBL there is no archery hunting. I've had success at both so its up to you...good luck
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
All other things being equal (at least it sounded like your Dad had no personal preferences), there is also the issue of time and "convenience" from wherever you're coming.
Whether archery or gun may not matter to you, but I suspect most hunters would have a better chance getting a deer at Cheatham with a gun than at LBL with a bow.
You probably have already viewed the below thread, but just in case you haven't, it was nice to see someone posting about their positive experiences on any of our public hunting lands:
http://www.tndeer.com/tndeertalk/ubbthr ... ost3481665
Whether archery or gun may not matter to you, but I suspect most hunters would have a better chance getting a deer at Cheatham with a gun than at LBL with a bow.
You probably have already viewed the below thread, but just in case you haven't, it was nice to see someone posting about their positive experiences on any of our public hunting lands:
http://www.tndeer.com/tndeertalk/ubbthr ... ost3481665
WMAn
Well-Known Member
I have no experience with Cheatham WMA, but I have experience with other Middle TN WMAs that are open according to statewide seasons and regs. I do have past experience at LBL.
In your situation, my choice would be based on the timing of the trip. If you are planning on before Thanksgiving, I would go to Cheatham. After Thanksgiving, I would go to LBL.
The farther you get into rifle season you get the harder it will be for a hunter unfamiliar with the WMA to be successful on public land that has been open to firearms hunting since the first part of November.
December hunting at LBL is still tough, but you'll have little competition and a better chance of at least seeing deer.
In your situation, my choice would be based on the timing of the trip. If you are planning on before Thanksgiving, I would go to Cheatham. After Thanksgiving, I would go to LBL.
The farther you get into rifle season you get the harder it will be for a hunter unfamiliar with the WMA to be successful on public land that has been open to firearms hunting since the first part of November.
December hunting at LBL is still tough, but you'll have little competition and a better chance of at least seeing deer.
I've hunted public land before, but neither of the ones my dad wants to hunt. We'll be coming from the Chattanooga area and it will more than likely be first week or two of December. Whichever we choose we are gonna go up a day or two in early September to try and get a feel for the land.
Only been to Cheatham once, what I remember is it was hilly. Close to Nashville and pretty country.
LBL is beautiful too, but something like 60,000 acres in TN, so narrowing down a spot will be tough. Most campgrounds at LBL might be closed in Dec, but you could primitive camp. You also have to purchase a permit for LBL, assuming you have a Sportsmans License and no additional tag for Cheatham. LBL is prob 1.5 hours further away than Cheatham for you as well.
Both are big woods type of hunting, pressure will be lower at LBL but finding a food source will be your issue there. Same as Cheatham I suppose too.
Honestly its a flip of a coin, I would choose LBL only because I know the area better than Cheatham and you would have it to yourself.
LBL is beautiful too, but something like 60,000 acres in TN, so narrowing down a spot will be tough. Most campgrounds at LBL might be closed in Dec, but you could primitive camp. You also have to purchase a permit for LBL, assuming you have a Sportsmans License and no additional tag for Cheatham. LBL is prob 1.5 hours further away than Cheatham for you as well.
Both are big woods type of hunting, pressure will be lower at LBL but finding a food source will be your issue there. Same as Cheatham I suppose too.
Honestly its a flip of a coin, I would choose LBL only because I know the area better than Cheatham and you would have it to yourself.
TN RDG RNR
Well-Known Member
AT Hiker said:
What he said.^^^^
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
This is often over-looked by 1st-time LBL hunters.AT Hiker said:
The Lifetime/Sportsman licenses do NOT cover the LBL permit, which I think is about $20.
BAMA BOW MERKER
Well-Known Member
LBL
Ok, thanks everyone for the responses. I think I'm gonna let him choose which one he wants to hunt. Primitive camping is ok with us too. We have the right gear to stay warm and dry.
If it were eight years ago I'd say Cheatham but disease has hit that WMA hard.
As for going in blind at LBL, when I've drawn gun quota hunts I've simply drove around the day before and scouted. I've always seen deer at LBL.
I hunt Cheatham 2-3X a year. The last two, I've seen three deer. Others may tell you different.
As for going in blind at LBL, when I've drawn gun quota hunts I've simply drove around the day before and scouted. I've always seen deer at LBL.
I hunt Cheatham 2-3X a year. The last two, I've seen three deer. Others may tell you different.
Dewey606
Member
I have been hunting Cheatham WMA this year, both bow and rifle. No luck. I see a few does every once in awhile, but I guess the herd was thinned out by EHD and there seems to be a LOT of hunting pressure. I have had problems not "bumping" into other hunters. I will sometimes pass 15 or more trucks on the way to my spot. I have had other guys walk up on me while in a climbing stand. And then there was the tree rat hunter who let his dog out during archery season and started blindly shooting into the trees. Not picking on tree rat hunters, I am one also. The interesting one was the truck bed filled with 8 guys with loaded crossbows riding around like it was a deer zombie apocalypse. So to recap, the deer are laughing at me. A lot. But I am still going to keep trying because I love being out there. One thing Cheatham WMA has going for it is the resident TWRA official, Randy Cromer. Super nice guy.
volunteer1
Well-Known Member
lbl can be difficult hunting imo however it can be extremly rewarding. We only go there every two years usually on the thanksgiving weekend draw hunt. We have been successful.
I live in east tennessee hence the only time we go up there is when we are on the draw hunt.If I lived in north middle or northwest tennessee I would bow hunt there as much as possible.
I live in east tennessee hence the only time we go up there is when we are on the draw hunt.If I lived in north middle or northwest tennessee I would bow hunt there as much as possible.
CamoGator
Well-Known Member
At cheatam you have to be willing to go where no one else wants to or has been. at least that's been my experience. I've hunted there 2 times. once for turkey and once for deer. On both hunts I saw game and lots of sign (feathers, scrapes and rubs). But I drove a long ways inside the WMA and passed a ton of trucks and was at least a half mile from the last vehicle I saw.
My advice if going there would be look on Google earth extensively for hardwood bottoms surrounded by steep hillsides away from where expected hunting pressure would be.
Or just simply go out and self scout areas. Use the other hunters as an advantage and learn typical hunting places and find way downwind access and let the other hunters push deer towards your direction.
My advice if going there would be look on Google earth extensively for hardwood bottoms surrounded by steep hillsides away from where expected hunting pressure would be.
Or just simply go out and self scout areas. Use the other hunters as an advantage and learn typical hunting places and find way downwind access and let the other hunters push deer towards your direction.
I was told a secret about Chatham a long time ago and it works. Stay away from the fields and if your more that 200 yards from a rd your to deep in the woods, every deer I have ever killed there has been less than 100 yards from a PAVED rd
Dewey606
Member
I saw what seemed like thousands of tracks all over a field there. But apparently they are paratrooper deer that arrive by airdrop and are quickly exfiltrated before my arrival because I saw few. From my last stand location I saw four does, during gun season so no shooting, and one buck that was being chased by dogs. There was sign all around and scrapes and rubs, just no deer to shoot. I hope I have better luck next year. I live in Cheatham Co., so I hate traveling further to a different WMA to hunt.
