Tellico/mountain hunting

hayduke · Sep 1, 2013

Hello - I'm new here - mainly interested in deep woods, mountain hunting, and specifically around Tellico/South Cherokee. I've hunted open agricultural land and just basically want to be in the mountains from now on.

Any tips or tricks for deer in this really challenging area? I don't see many bucks when I go into the Tellico area, not that antlers matter all that much. Tree stand? Still hunting? Any other mountain hunters?

Thanks very much.

348Winchester · Sep 1, 2013

I frequently hunt the Cumberland Mountains of Scott/Morgan Counties. Terrain features are the key to hunting the mountains. Get yourself a topo of the area and study it relentlessly. Look for deep gaps in the mountains, benches, bluff lines, points of finger ridges that run perpendicular to the mountain, heads of deep hollows, and don't overlook hard and soft edges where different types of cover are adjacent. Acme Mapper is a great map site that would be very helpful.

Snake · Sep 1, 2013

Better go scout , a must do if you have any fortune at all . Also you better be in shape !Used to hunt what they call cow camp and it was an hour walk straight up until you got to were there was good sign .Don't much about it any more but there used to be good sign out from Wigg Meadow , lots of old logging roads and the bucks would scrape it to death . If you drove up to the meadow(used to be 4WD only) and walked out the leads it wasn't so bad and tht's were I killed my last Tellico deer (a little spike). When I killed that one I gave up hunting the mountains before it killed me :grin:.

WGK · Sep 1, 2013

Snake is right it is tough hunting. I hunted up there as a kid. I think about it now and wonder what would I have done if I had killed something. I wish you the best of luck and keep us posted on your progress.

Boone 58 · Sep 1, 2013

Welcome friend!!

bigtex · Sep 1, 2013

When I first started deer hunting about the only place that had deer were Tellico and Ocoee. It's tough hunting for sure. The deer density was and still is low, but there are a few good ones killed there every year.
I don't hunt the mountains anymore, i'm too old and the deer are too few. When I did hunt Tellico I hunted around Sycamore Creek and Jefferies. Take a GPS, and a compass if you hunt Jefferies, I got "turned around" in there once and thought I would never see civilization again. I used to hunt up around the flume line above the power house when I hunted Ocoee, rugged terrain for sure.

stik · Sep 1, 2013

lots of legwork required for success and you'll see more hogs and bears than deer.

CATCHDAWG · Sep 2, 2013

Be prepared to do some hiking, you will have to get a few miles off the road before you get away from other hunters. I carry a large backpack so I can pack in my clothes, don't over-dress walking in or you WILL freeze! The pack is also used to carry out the quarters and backstraps, you can forget about dragging anything out. I've always done better hunting ridge tops and saddles vs the gaps. Most of the deep gaps that look good on a topo map are laurel infested hells that you can't even crawl through. You won't see many deer but you will have a chance at a true trophy!