Sold/Expired Tennessee 2013 Black Bear Guided Hunt

[varminthunter123]

I am wanting to do a black bear hunt this fall in Tennessee. Does anyone know of or could recommend a good reliable guide service?

I am wanting to do an archery hunt, no dogs. Stand hunting.

Any help will be appreciated.

If you are a guide, please pm me with information concerning dates, accommodations and pricing.

Thank Again!!

 

[CATCHDAWG]

There is a archery only bear season in south Cherokee before the dog hunts start and there is plenty of bears around here. Bears are not like deer, they do not have regular travel routes and trails, they more or less wonder randomly in their home territory and you just got to hunt the gaps, leads and natural funnels. With that being said, no way I would pay a guide if hunting without dogs. Other than knowing the country, a guide couldn't help you kill a bear. You could study some topo maps and do just as well on your own. If you need a general vicinity to hunt, I can help, been stomping around Ocoee for close to forty years but killing a bear without dogs in Tennessee is just pure luck, bottom line!

 

[fredfred]

Pure luck and boring as can be.

 

[varminthunter123]

What kind of range does a bear have? Do they typically stay in the same area?

 

[Diehard Hunter]

What kind of range does a bear have? Do they typically stay in the same area?

They cover huge areas. If there is a hot food source, they might stay on it for a few days. Otherwise, they may be many miles away next week. They have a great ability to cover a large amount of ground in a short amount of time.

 

[Buzzard Breath]

...........

 

[Diehard Hunter]

Put lots of miles on your boots and call them in like coyotes. With a name like varminthunter123 you should be capable of that. It's the most fun you can have with your pants on. It's easy to get them in range, tough to hold your composure long enough for a shot.

Be forewarned, some of the bear hunters do not like the archery hunters. It doesn't sound as though TWRA is all for bow hunting them either.

Archery hunts are primarily used by the agency to control the bear populations on private lands. As much as we'd like to provide opportunity for everyone, the archery hunts on public lands have not been embraced by the public.

Where in that quote do you get that TWRA is not for bow hunting them. His exact words were....the archery hunts on public lands have not been embraced by the PUBLIC.

 

[Buzzard Breath]

..........

 

[Diehard Hunter]

He put that there because most private land is not available to people hunting with dogs. The vast majority of bears are killed with the aid of dogs. If a landowners does not want dogs on their land, what other option is there? Oh yeah...the one they have given the general public. Joe blow is much more likely to get permission as a bow hunter than he is as a houndsman.

If you have a better alternative to increasing bear hunting opportunities for the general public, I would sure love to hear them. BTW, many of those same areas also have a season where dogs are allowed, but the chances of getting permission is slim. The parcels of land are just too small to use dogs without getting onto neighboring property where they may not appreciate it.

I might add that the entire north Cherokee is open with the statewide seasons. The south Cherokee does not have a bow season, they go straight to gun, but you can use a bow if you would like. There are many hunts with no quota where dogs are allowed, but not required.

 

[Buzzard Breath]

varminthunter123, I apologize for hijacking your thread. That was not the intent of my original post. I went ahead and edited it.

 

[varminthunter123]

So am I hearing this right, bears can be brought in with predator calls? If so, what range would the bear have to be in in order to hear the call?

 

[CATCHDAWG]

So am I hearing this right, bears can be brought in with predator calls? If so, what range would the bear have to be in in order to hear the call?

Yes they can, I have had them come in to a piglet in distress on a e caller while predator hunting.

 

[varminthunter123]

What about a Fawn Distress?

 

[varminthunter123]

Does anyone know any specific areas by trail names that are know to be good for bear? What about camping sites in the same area?

 

[CATCHDAWG]

I've only called them in a couple times by accident so I can't suggest specific calls, I'm sure there is a lot of info on the net.
If you decide on south Cherokee on the southern side of the Hiawassee river, I know it like the back of my hand, every trail, campsites, whatever you need to know.

 

[CATCHDAWG]

And btw, the wma does go straight into the dog hunts. The archery only is for private land. Doesn't mean you can't hunt it.

 

[Diehard Hunter]

I can help you out with the Tellico ranger district, north of where catch dawg is talking about. They have a lot of open hunts there.

As far as how far they can hear? That would depend on the terrain and vegetation. In some areas sound will not travel far at all, but there are some other areas where it would not surprise me if they could hear you from a mile away. They have a pretty good sense of hearing, but it is their nose that is really outstanding.

 

[Diehard Hunter]

I am willing to bet a fawn distress would work pretty good early on in the season. The hunts on south Cherokee start in September.

 

[varminthunter123]

Looks like it started the weekend prior to the opening of the state archery season.

According to the state harvest record from last year, the best counties are Cocke and Sevier. It also stated that the archery only was for all counties listed for the dog hunts too.
That would be considered North Cherekee NF, Correct??

 

[varminthunter123]

I would also think that if your trying to call the in you would probably want to be in a tree stand and not hunting on the ground???