LBL Rifle Quota - Gameplan

[BamBam77]

Two friends and I got drawn for the LBL rifle hunt this Friday to Sunday (27-29Oct). I put us in for Area 14 as part of it was family land just a few generations ago, booked some tent spots at Piney, and for months have been looking forward to making an old fashioned Deer Camp... but now in the last few days, the weather has turned and left us second guessing our approach. We're not seasoned hunters and have largely self-taught with magazine articles, Youtube, and sweat equity. I've spent a great deal of time in LBL while growing up as my Grandparents ran a campground there for 20 years, so I know what kind of country it is, but this will be the first time getting to hunt it; I'm used to Missouri. We're fairly mobile with lock on stands and willing to put in some miles; have spent hours with maps, but haven't scouted on foot.

With only 3 days to hunt, transitioning deer patterns, ~80 degree weather, a bumper acorn crop, and many other variables to factor in, we're having trouble picking an approach.
Hit with an information overload from all the opinions/articles/info online, how would you personally prioritize one stand site over another? What terrain would you key in on and when? Do you think the heat will drastically affect movement?

I'm just looking for some sound wisdom, not grid coordinates or directions. This is our first quota and not sure what to expect. With the 20 degree temp drop Monday, we're considering staying out with our bows.
Let me know what you think, is this just going to rely on luck? I'm here to learn, so I appreciate any info provided.


Terrain:
- 7405 acres; 100 person quota
- Split into two portions by a no-hunting rec center
- Primarily big woods ridge systems bordered by water; some conifer stands
- A few fields with mostly dry creeks leading there, some planted with corn
- Strong road system; most remote area being 1100yrds from the closest road
- 500 acre area (orange shading on map) decimated by 2019 tornado and currently being logged

Factors:
- South wind all weekend; heavy cloud cover; chance of rain; high temps
- Full moon Friday night
- 31 deer killed on TN side of LBL so far this season
- Heat keeps others away vs heavy hunting pressure?
- Get as far as possible from the roads vs hunt subpar terrain with fewer people (hunt the hunters approach)?
- Hunt based on food sources vs terrain features?
- Deer staying bedded all day due to heat vs desire to breed overrules?

Current Plan:
- find the thickest, nastiest cover and setup counter the wind
- get close to suspected bedding areas and secluded water
- I have specific spots picked, but not sharing them here

 

[mike243]

I like to stay mobile when I go into a new area, seems like I always second guess where to hang a stand snd end up moving several times, my plan would be to hunt/scout the spots for a day before I settled on a spot to set up a stand. good luck last time I was there it was loaded with tape and cat eyes and I mean loaded, folks really screw the woods up and refuse to clean up after themselves.

 

[trtr0611]

I've been hunting LBL for almost 30 yrs. I've tried every game plan. Studied terrain and scouted. To be honest, it's a crap shoot. It's very difficult to target deer in LBL. About 8 yrs ago I finally found a spot that seemed to produce deer sightings. We have taken a few fairly decent bucks in the area which happens to be just off of the north/south hiking trail. Going in on a trail like this makes access to more remote areas much easier. The greatest advantage a hunter has at LBL is the rut. All the bucks we have taken have been chasing or trailing does. I've sat over scrapes and areas with tons of rubs for two days and not seen a single buck. Another piece of advice during the rifle quota is to get somewhere (preferably on a ridge) that you can see a good distance around you. Bucks will usually be moving pretty fast and it's easy to lose them if you're in a thick area. I've had a few slip by me. Good luck!

 

[Andy S.]

Noting to add. I like your analysis and approach, best of luck. Mother Nature is not doing you or any of us any favors this week and weekend. Again, best of luck, hope y'all have a safe and enjoyable experience.

 

[EJ1]

A lot of your scouting will go to pot once 100 people start going in, guns start going off and people moving through the woods all day.
Thicker cover, edge cover and escape routes for the deer are key to them when this happens. They will be pushed around all day.

 

[yellalinehunter]

your plan sounds solid. I would add that I would hunt your best spots early. Once your sit is "over" I'd walk for 15min and then sit for 45 and keep repeating that sequence. Good way to scout and have a good chance at seeing deer. More about being methodical with your movement than covering tons of ground.

 

[THEdonkey0515]

A lot of your scouting will go to pot once 100 people start going in, guns start going off and people moving through the woods all day.
Thicker cover, edge cover and escape routes for the deer are key to them when this happens. They will be pushed around all day.

Yup agree with this. Went up a few days early scouted hard a few years ago. The morning of the hunt it all went out the window. Line of trucks in almost every spot.

I just parked in a spot no one else was waited to almost daylight so I could see had no idea where i was going waddled in 200 yards off a side road and shot an 11pt 30 mins later Running down a deep holler away from everyone else.

 

[TheLBLman]

Two friends and I got drawn for the LBL rifle hunt this Friday to Sunday (27-29Oct). I put us in for Area 14 as part of it was family land just a few generations ago . . . . .
. . . . . . . . .
Factors:
- South wind all weekend; heavy cloud cover; chance of rain; high temps
- Heat keeps others away vs heavy hunting pressure?
- Get as far as possible from the roads vs hunt subpar terrain with fewer people (hunt the hunters approach)?
- Hunt based on food sources vs terrain features?
- Deer staying bedded all day due to heat vs desire to breed overrules?

For YOU, Area 14 is unquestionably the best area you could be hunting.
Personally, I'm as happy with any particular area over any other, as each is overall more similar than different. The "best" area is whichever one you are most familiar.

You can expect a high level of hunter participation on this particular hunt. No matter anything else, it precedes most other quota hunts statewide, and it is on a weekend when adults have essentially no where else to hunt. This is the TN statewide juvenile weekend when adults cannot hunt. Consequently, the majority of those who will be hunting LBL this weekend are avid & accomplished hunters. Most will show up.

Be a fluke if there's any breeding done this weekend, as it's just too early before the rut really gets cranking. I suspect most bucks will simply be feeding on acorns, if in an area not disturbed, otherwise, they will just be laying up in some area they've been pushed into.

All the day-before "scouting" and hunters placing stands will move them into whatever areas are least disturbed. These areas will not necessarily be remote, as many will be within 100 yds of a blacktop road. Just wherever no human walks thru the day before.

"Scouting" often puts more pressure on these deer than the actual "hunting".

Current Plan:
- find the thickest, nastiest cover and setup counter the wind
- get close to suspected bedding areas and secluded water

Good Plan. Except the water is probably of no relevance.

I've many times seen the most dense hunting pressure be in some of the most remoted areas on these quota hunts. Seems many the most avid hunters will study their maps, then they all come in from every direction to only meet in the middle, so to speak.

There area very few areas with LBL where you are not within a mile of a road coming from the opposite direction from where you enter. This simply is not a true wilderness area like the Cherokee National Forest.

 

[EastTNboy]

For YOU, Area 14 is unquestionably the best area you could be hunting.
Personally, I'm as happy with any particular area over any other, as each is overall more similar than different. The "best" area is whichever one you are most familiar.

You can expect a high level of hunter participation on this particular hunt. No matter anything else, it precedes most other quota hunts statewide, and it is on a weekend when adults have essentially no where else to hunt. This is the TN statewide juvenile weekend when adults cannot hunt. Consequently, the majority of those who will be hunting LBL this weekend are avid & accomplished hunters. Most will show up.

Be a fluke if there's any breeding done this weekend, as it's just too early before the rut really gets cranking. I suspect most bucks will simply be feeding on acorns, if in an area not disturbed, otherwise, they will just be laying up in some area they've been pushed into.

All the day-before "scouting" and hunters placing stands will move them into whatever areas are least disturbed. These areas will not necessarily be remote, as many will be within 100 yds of a blacktop road. Just wherever no human walks thru the day before.

"Scouting" often puts more pressure on these deer than the actual "hunting".


Good Plan. Except the water is probably of no relevance.

I've many times seen the most dense hunting pressure be in some of the most remoted areas on these quota hunts. Seems many the most avid hunters will study their maps, then they all come in from every direction to only meet in the middle, so to speak.

There area very few areas with LBL where you are not within a mile of a road coming from the opposite direction from where you enter. This simply is not a true wilderness area like the Cherokee National Forest.

Pretty spot on IMO

 

[BamBam77]

I like to stay mobile when I go into a new area, seems like I always second guess where to hang a stand snd end up moving several times, my plan would be to hunt/scout the spots for a day before I settled on a spot to set up a stand. good luck last time I was there it was loaded with tape and cat eyes and I mean loaded, folks really screw the woods up and refuse to clean up after themselves.

I'm the same way. Bit of a perfectionist and always driven to perform doesn't always make hunting relaxing.. We'll be up there early afternoon tomorrow to check things out. Hopefully can capitalize Friday morning before the woods get too crazy

 

[BamBam77]

I've been hunting LBL for almost 30 yrs. I've tried every game plan. Studied terrain and scouted. To be honest, it's a crap shoot. It's very difficult to target deer in LBL. About 8 yrs ago I finally found a spot that seemed to produce deer sightings. We have taken a few fairly decent bucks in the area which happens to be just off of the north/south hiking trail. Going in on a trail like this makes access to more remote areas much easier. The greatest advantage a hunter has at LBL is the rut. All the bucks we have taken have been chasing or trailing does. I've sat over scrapes and areas with tons of rubs for two days and not seen a single buck. Another piece of advice during the rifle quota is to get somewhere (preferably on a ridge) that you can see a good distance around you. Bucks will usually be moving pretty fast and it's easy to lose them if you're in a thick area. I've had a few slip by me. Good luck!

That's about what I figured. Terrain is so uniform, add in 100 intruders and all of a sudden luck plays a substantial role.
Planning to hunt ridges in the morning and focus on bedding areas in the afternoons

 

[BamBam77]

Noting to add. I like your analysis and approach, best of luck. Mother Nature is not doing you or any of us any favors this week and weekend. Again, best of luck, hope y'all have a safe and enjoyable experience.

Thank you, sir. Weather was looking good until a few days ago. And now have a 25 degree drop from 74 to 49 on Monday. Perfect timing

 

[BamBam77]

For YOU, Area 14 is unquestionably the best area you could be hunting.
Personally, I'm as happy with any particular area over any other, as each is overall more similar than different. The "best" area is whichever one you are most familiar.

Yes sir, these big woods seem pretty similar no matter which hunt area. I'm extremely familiar with Hunt Area 2, maybe we'll get that next year.

Be a fluke if there's any breeding done this weekend, as it's just too early before the rut really gets cranking. I suspect most bucks will simply be feeding on acorns, if in an area not disturbed, otherwise, they will just be laying up in some area they've been pushed into.

All the day-before "scouting" and hunters placing stands will move them into whatever areas are least disturbed. These areas will not necessarily be remote, as many will be within 100 yds of a blacktop road. Just wherever no human walks thru the day before.

"Scouting" often puts more pressure on these deer than the actual "hunting".

Good to know. I had already largely ruled out much scouting as it seems futile with the influx of people. I'm sure plenty everyone else pinpointed their maps with the same analysis I did. Sounds like it'll be a circus.

Good Plan. Except the water is probably of no relevance.

I've many times seen the most dense hunting pressure be in some of the most remoted areas on these quota hunts. Seems many the most avid hunters will study their maps, then they all come in from every direction to only meet in the middle, so to speak.

There area very few areas with LBL where you are not within a mile of a road coming from the opposite direction from where you enter. This simply is not a true wilderness area like the Cherokee National Forest.

Understood. We have about the most condensed Hunt Area in the TN side. Smaller quota than the others, but will still be stacked on each other. 74 acres a piece. Thinking we'll hike in early Friday and hope others push deer to us. After that is seems to be a bit more based on luck.

Thanks for the input and advice.

 

[BigAl]

I was advised to start as far away from a road as possible. But always seemed to have other hunters walk in on me on the first morning. My only advice is to have a plan b and c. Mainly due to encroachment of other hunters.

 

[Tiny]

Yup agree with this. Went up a few days early scouted hard a few years ago. The morning of the hunt it all went out the window. Line of trucks in almost every spot.

I just parked in a spot no one else was waited to almost daylight so I could see had no idea where i was going waddled in 200 yards off a side road and shot an 11pt 30 mins later Running down a deep holler away from everyone else.

Found out years ago thats sometimes the best approach on public areas.

 

[EJ1]

Another note.
I killed my biggest LBL deer about 80 yards from a blacktop road. Most everyone try's to go "deep" to get away from the crowd when there is hardly no one within 200 yards of a road.

 

[spoonie]

Another note.
I killed my biggest LBL deer about 80 yards from a blacktop road. Most everyone try's to go "deep" to get away from the crowd when there is hardly no one within 200 yards of a road.

Yep scouted today and my group and I are hunting right off the black top….. we'll see what happens

 

[THE DUKE]

Good luck.

 

[DMD]

Hunt the hunters. Look for escape routes, spots where two or more ridges/hollows come together and wait it out. Look at the map and get back in the woods in between several easy access spots. As hunters move and pressure deer, they will push deer by you. That's my normal plan for public land quota hunts.

 

[THEdonkey0515]

Went at it pretty hard all day seen 2 doe.