Diehard Hunter
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As far as aesthetics go.....Catoosa has a lot of beautiful country.
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Most Aesthetic Quota Hunts?
- Thread starter Diehard Hunter
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TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
Also, don't limit yourself to just "quota" hunts.
Many of the WMA's with "quota" hunts actually have fewer hunters afield on their "non-quota" hunts.
If your primary goal with "aesthetics" is hunting a place where you're least likely to have the experience polluted by other hunters, where you hear and see the least in human disturbances (highway traffic noises, boat noises, people partying/playing noises, etc.) ----- and presents a native "wild" landscape ---- would be hard to beat any part of the absolutely HUGE Cherokee National Forest. Of all the public places you could hunt in TN, it is the most "wild".
I agree that Catoosa is a beautiful area, but the aesthetics of my recent experiences there were totally ruined by ATV users posing as hunters. ATV's are legal on Catoosa, and there seems to be zero enforcement regarding where people ride them, which is just about everywhere.
Many of the WMA's with "quota" hunts actually have fewer hunters afield on their "non-quota" hunts.
If your primary goal with "aesthetics" is hunting a place where you're least likely to have the experience polluted by other hunters, where you hear and see the least in human disturbances (highway traffic noises, boat noises, people partying/playing noises, etc.) ----- and presents a native "wild" landscape ---- would be hard to beat any part of the absolutely HUGE Cherokee National Forest. Of all the public places you could hunt in TN, it is the most "wild".
I agree that Catoosa is a beautiful area, but the aesthetics of my recent experiences there were totally ruined by ATV users posing as hunters. ATV's are legal on Catoosa, and there seems to be zero enforcement regarding where people ride them, which is just about everywhere.
eightpointer
Well-Known Member
Me and my Son hunted Cherokee last season. Absolutely beautiful.
Cherokee is challenging,but deer are there if you know how to hunt it.I personally don't and now am not physically able,but I have a friend that grew up hunting those mountains and he regularly takes at least one nice buck from there yearly not to mention bear and hogs.
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
I would say more a case of being "different" than "challenging" although agree there are different challenges there compared to the typical backyard deer hunting done by most deer hunters.Poser said:
I can take an East TN deer hunter who has never hunted anywhere but those mountains in the Cherokee, take him over the swamp bottomlands in extreme West KY and West TN, and almost guarantee you he'll find it more "challenging" than his mountains.
Lots of differences.
I do believe during the rut you may find the big forest deer travel much greater distances daily than in more typical TN deer woods and farmland areas. Many of the places you may suddenly see a mature buck in the Cherokee (during the rut), you may have seen no fresh deer sign in months. Very different, to say the least. And a relatively high percentage of the bucks are mature.
Did you know that one of Tennessee's highest scoring bucks was killed in the Cherokee National Forest? I believe when it was taken, it was TN's #1 Non-Typical. Still blows my mind that TN's #1 Typical (taken in 1959) came from East TN (Roane County), and that record still stands. There's always a chance of taking a monster buck, even in East TN.
laurel hill and lbl are beautiful tracts
Wes Parrish said:
I agree with this on all points. And to add to it, the amount of litter at Catoosa is staggering. The past couple years has gotten worse. Beer cans and fast food wrappers all along the roads. Hunters not packing there Mt. Dew cans and food wrappers out,enough orange flagging tape to reach the moon and back. I always pack some of this garbage out with me, but it's frustrating. Abandoned campsites that folks just leave what they don't want to take. There's even a guy who puts a mailbox in front of his camp that says "A###ole". Not exactly the type of guy that respects others or the environment.
It's the same issues that plague N. Cumberland WMA which also allows ATV's. I packed out 11 full vests of garbage while turkey hunting there this year.
If you're wanting a pristine backcountry experience, I'd choose Big South Fork or Cherokee NF. I'll post more on this when I get to a regular computer and don't have to worry about this locking up on me.
I've never hunted Big South Fork, but have spent time there in the backcountry. It should be real easy to get away from others and it is open with the regular hunting seasons. That should keep hunters spread out over more of the season when compared to areas that are draw hunts or have shorter seasons than typical. It's a huge area with few roads.
I do hunt S. Cherokee Tellico Unit. Some years more seriously than others. Once you get more than 100 yards off the trail, the chances of running into someone gets to be slim to none. I think the popularity of hunting here has diminished greatly over the last 5-6 years. I used to see big hunting camp set-up at most of the larger campsites. These have gotten smaller and smaller, some are gone altogether. If you do hunt this area, I would highly recommend reading about some of the history of the area before coming. These are the gaps in the mountains that the first settlers into TN came through. An interesting book about some of the old hunters in the area is "Hunting and Fishing in the Great Smokies: The Classic Guide for Sportsmen" by Jim Gasque. I would recommend reading it also.
http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Fishing-G ... Jim+Gasque
I do hunt S. Cherokee Tellico Unit. Some years more seriously than others. Once you get more than 100 yards off the trail, the chances of running into someone gets to be slim to none. I think the popularity of hunting here has diminished greatly over the last 5-6 years. I used to see big hunting camp set-up at most of the larger campsites. These have gotten smaller and smaller, some are gone altogether. If you do hunt this area, I would highly recommend reading about some of the history of the area before coming. These are the gaps in the mountains that the first settlers into TN came through. An interesting book about some of the old hunters in the area is "Hunting and Fishing in the Great Smokies: The Classic Guide for Sportsmen" by Jim Gasque. I would recommend reading it also.
http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Fishing-G ... Jim+Gasque
Maybe I need to give him the benefit of the doubt and stop by and see one of these odd things that he builds. I still don't like the mailbox.RAFI said:That's my camping spot on Catoosa that has the ahole sign.The guy who puts up the mailbox camps more than huntsHe builds odd things every year and a lot of people stop by to see
Buzzard Breath said:I've never hunted Big South Fork, but have spent time there in the backcountry. It should be real easy to get away from others and it is open with the regular hunting seasons. That should keep hunters spread out over more of the season when compared to areas that are draw hunts or have shorter seasons than typical. It's a huge area with few roads.
I do hunt S. Cherokee Tellico Unit. Some years more seriously than others. Once you get more than 100 yards off the trail, the chances of running into someone gets to be slim to none. I think the popularity of hunting here has diminished greatly over the last 5-6 years. I used to see big hunting camp set-up at most of the larger campsites. These have gotten smaller and smaller, some are gone altogether. If you do hunt this area, I would highly recommend reading about some of the history of the area before coming. These are the gaps in the mountains that the first settlers into TN came through. An interesting book about some of the old hunters in the area is "Hunting and Fishing in the Great Smokies: The Classic Guide for Sportsmen" by Jim Gasque. I would recommend reading it also.
http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Fishing-G ... Jim+Gasque
Maybe I need to give him the benefit of the doubt and stop by and see one of these odd things that he builds. I still don't like the mailbox.RAFI said:That's my camping spot on Catoosa that has the ahole sign.The guy who puts up the mailbox camps more than hunts
I don't either.Stop by this year and talk to our special buddy Ronald.He camps with us and is mentally challenged.He will make your day talking to him.Snapper is the guy who builds the crap.One year he had a 20' teepee and then a swing made out of a full size couch.I think he has to much free time
Bear Hollow in Franklin County is hard to beat for color in the fall.
LBL has some of the nicest looking hunting spots I ever sat.
You'll have a blast. If the two car thing doesn't work, don't think twice about just packing in and hunting out of a base camp. With a little planning, you'd be able to hunt up different drainages each day.Poser said:
It typically takes 2-3 years to draw a gun hunt and they are area specific. You'd have to look at a map to be certain of the areas, but I think area 15 is the largest and would let you hunt like you wish.Poser said:
I personally think the open archery hunt is where it's at for LBL. No draw, no areas, and very few people on approximately 60 thousand acres. There's no reason to do the archery hunt backcountry because there is not enough pressure to push the deer back; unless you just want to hunt that way. Which I understand.
TNRAMBLINGMAN
Well-Known Member
My vote for scenery is the NWR refuge around the TN river. Might see an eagle catch a fish and the river bluffs are beautiful as are they views across the river. Plenty of time to look at scenery as last time I was there the quantity of deer was a bit lacking.
I have scouted Laurel Hill and would love to spend more time there. It is big enough to get away from the crowd and seems to have diverse terrain.
Natchez Trace WMA is interesting too.
I have scouted Laurel Hill and would love to spend more time there. It is big enough to get away from the crowd and seems to have diverse terrain.
Natchez Trace WMA is interesting too.
