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AlexDad

AlexDad

Well-Known Member
Gold Supporter
Joined
Mar 26, 2007
Messages
1,124
City & State/Province
Lebanon, TN
As some of you know my private property was ruined. I've hunted public all season for the first time ever. With tax season finally over for me I was able to concentrate last week for the first time. So I got one Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. TBH, I've had more fun hunting this year than I have in years. Everyone I've met out at the WMAs has been very nice and very respectful as well, no issues whatsoever.

Saturday I go out late morning and when I get there already 4 in the parking area. I pass a young doe that looked to have been born this year laying to the side of the path dead. I climb my tree and hang maybe an hour and get a text and left earlier than planned. I go back to the Jeep and someone had pulled that little doe from the side to right in the middle of the path. I assumed someone shot it, looked for it, found it and maybe went to their vehicle to get their kill kit and was coming back.

Get to the Jeep and all other vehicles are gone. I was hunting DEEP and made it all the way to the back and then back out and didn't rush putting my stuff away. The warden that manages that property is a close friend, we go to Church together and I do his taxes. I texted him and told him about it. I see cams all over the place there and I don't know if they're hunters or TWRA cams. I didn't want to be on someone's cam and get accused of leaving one. It was in a spot close to the entrance, there was literally no way the hunter could've gotten off the property without walking by it.

Are you supposed to report those things? I had no idea but didn't want to be accused of anything.
 
Ski said:
You did the right thing. There just aren't enough wardens to be as effective as we like. The resource is ours so it falls on all of us to chip in when and how we can. In your case it's reporting wonton waste. You did right.
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Good to know! I'm in the process of selling my hunting property and I'm banking that money for retirement. I've enjoyed hunting public immensely. No stress keeping trespassers off, ripping thru my property on SXSs or paying the property tax. Mainly worried about some jerk hurting himself and suing me. Plus where I live in Lebanon I have a ton of WMAs a hop skip and jump from my driveway, go somewhere new all the time. Most fun I've had since 2005-2006.

I went out yesterday after Church and there were two late teen boys shooting squirrels, but they kept them to take home and eat. Really didn't even bother me and I still got my doe. Saw them in the parking area when I was leaving putting their squirrels in a cooler to take home. I'd rather they be out there hunting and they were being safe than out what most teens are doing now days.

I've deer hunted since I was 6 and just turned 54 and never shot a buck, I only shoot doe. I let bucks walk for people who can appreciate them more than me. Plus we're overrun with doe so I can easily get my 3-4 per year and have fun doing it.
 
AlexDad said:
As some of you know my private property was ruined. I've hunted public all season for the first time ever. With tax season finally over for me I was able to concentrate last week for the first time. So I got one Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. TBH, I've had more fun hunting this year than I have in years. Everyone I've met out at the WMAs has been very nice and very respectful as well, no issues whatsoever.

Saturday I go out late morning and when I get there already 4 in the parking area. I pass a young doe that looked to have been born this year laying to the side of the path dead. I climb my tree and hang maybe an hour and get a text and left earlier than planned. I go back to the Jeep and someone had pulled that little doe from the side to right in the middle of the path. I assumed someone shot it, looked for it, found it and maybe went to their vehicle to get their kill kit and was coming back.

Get to the Jeep and all other vehicles are gone. I was hunting DEEP and made it all the way to the back and then back out and didn't rush putting my stuff away. The warden that manages that property is a close friend, we go to Church together and I do his taxes. I texted him and told him about it. I see cams all over the place there and I don't know if they're hunters or TWRA cams. I didn't want to be on someone's cam and get accused of leaving one. It was in a spot close to the entrance, there was literally no way the hunter could've gotten off the property without walking by it.

Are you supposed to report those things? I had no idea but didn't want to be accused of anything.
Click to expand...
if she was fresh, no one in the lot, i'd put her in the truck and she'd be sausage by tomorrow....
 
AlexDad said:
Good to know! I'm in the process of selling my hunting property and I'm banking that money for retirement. I've enjoyed hunting public immensely. No stress keeping trespassers off, ripping thru my property on SXSs or paying the property tax. Mainly worried about some jerk hurting himself and suing me. Plus where I live in Lebanon I have a ton of WMAs a hop skip and jump from my driveway, go somewhere new all the time. Most fun I've had since 2005-2006.

I went out yesterday after Church and there were two late teen boys shooting squirrels, but they kept them to take home and eat. Really didn't even bother me and I still got my doe. Saw them in the parking area when I was leaving putting their squirrels in a cooler to take home. I'd rather they be out there hunting and they were being safe than out what most teens are doing now days.

I've deer hunted since I was 6 and just turned 54 and never shot a buck, I only shoot doe. I let bucks walk for people who can appreciate them more than me. Plus we're overrun with doe so I can easily get my 3-4 per year and have fun doing it.
Click to expand...

That's awesome man! Public land often gets a bad rap but it's actually really great that we have it. And it is a lot of fun indeed.
 
themanpcl said:
if she was fresh, no one in the lot, i'd put her in the truck and she'd be sausage by tomorrow....
Click to expand...
When I went by in the morning she had dried blood bubbled out of her mouth. When I went back and she'd been moved and flipped on her other side. She wasn't shot with a bow I assume a mz loader but it wasn't a pass thru and the entry wound had maggots. The more I thought about it she could've been shot the day before and people who showed up Saturday moved her to get a look.
 
AlexDad said:
When I went by in the morning she had dried blood bubbled out of her mouth. When I went back and she'd been moved and flipped on her other side. She wasn't shot with a bow I assume a mz loader but it wasn't a pass thru and the entry wound had maggots. The more I thought about it she could've been shot the day before and people who showed up Saturday moved her to get a look.
Click to expand...
i think i leave that one for the circle of life....
 
Ski said:
That's awesome man! Public land often gets a bad rap but it's actually really great that we have it. And it is a lot of fun indeed.
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I have 7 private parcels I can hunt (own 3 of them) and I'd much rather hunt public.

120" deer is practically.guaranteed on private. Pretty tough on public.

Plus I like being able to hike a long ways in and hunt all day. Gonna be hard to pull that off on private
 
Gravey said:
You did right letting the warden know. Otherwise I'd have left it too for somebody to come back and if they didn't Mother Nature would take over.
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I'm not above a lil road kill, LOL! Back when I was still driving to Brentwood every morning I was coming down Hickory Ridge Rd to come out on 109. It was about 4AM and I was wide awake, bright eyed and bushy tailed. No street lights on Hickory Ridge Rd so it's a bit dark. Tons of cyclists on Hwy 109 and the roads off 109 near I40. My club rides there and sometimes I'm one of them.

I wasn't distracted or changing the radio or anything and bam! I hit something and I saw a body slide about 20' down the road into the opposite ditch. I swear I thought I hit someone on a bicycle and my first thought was "Well there goes my house I'm sued."

I get my phone to more than likely call 911 but walk up to check and it's a doe. HUGE relief I didn't kill someone. It was Oct I had a Sportsman License and I figured she'd go in the back of the truck. I took my suit coat off and grabbed an old jacket so I wouldn't get my shirt dirty and I put the back feet together and front feet together and was gonna pick it up.

She was either knocked out and came back to or another deer in the area was praying for her because she twisted out of my grip and beat the crap outta me. I had to go back home and shower and change clothes.
 

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