Tn...A Trophy Destination State?

[Roost 1]

I keep reading a lot of posts with projected results from regulation changes concerning Tn destined to become a trophy status state. Personally, I just don't see it. Any changes made may or may not possibly result in more deer available to hunt but just as water seeks it's on level, Tn is only capable of producing what it will. There have been deer present in the state for almost half a century and to my knowledge, Tn has never been classified a trophy destination. It would seem that the major reduction in limits over 10 years ago from 11 bucks/season down to 3 and then 2 would have netted some results towards that aspiration. I'm sure there have been some whoppers taken over the course of those years but not enough to re-classify our standings.

So-o-o, I'm interested in hearing thoughts on why some feel we're headed that direction. What will make the deer in Tn do that they have never been able to do in the past? Just what makes a trophy state? Is it the number of deer available for hunting? Is it the limits? Is it the size of the top end bucks or more likely, the number of mature bucks available to hunt, even though most may never reach record book status?

Its called "Perception" and although TN deer might not be as big as IA deer they are prolly bigger than FL deer and then add in a very long firearms season, over the counter tags, very liberal bag limits, and relatively cheap lease prices. It doesnt take long to see why it would appeal to out of staters. When IL changed their regs and implemented a draw system and jacked the non-resident license price, it caused KY to look very good to alot of non-residents. I 've had alot of guys tell me they cant justify paying big money for lease without any guarantee of getting drawn, so they just come to KY. Plus its closer to home for these guys as most are from FL, GA, and AL..... The landscape of deer hunting as really changed in KY and the local residents have suffered....Our Dept of fish & wildlife sold us out!!! :bash:

 

[BSK]

Its called "Perception" and although TN deer might not be as big as IA deer they are prolly bigger than FL deer and then add in a very long firearms season, over the counter tags, very liberal bag limits, and relatively cheap lease prices. It doesnt take long to see why it would appeal to out of staters. When IL changed their regs and implemented a draw system and jacked the non-resident license price, it caused KY to look very good to alot of non-residents. I 've had alot of guys tell me they cant justify paying big money for lease without any guarantee of getting drawn, so they just come to KY. Plus its closer to home for these guys as most are from FL, GA, and AL..... The landscape of deer hunting as really changed in KY and the local residents have suffered....Our Dept of fish & wildlife sold us out!!! :bash:

I remember when all I would hear in GA and AL was complaints about how all the FL hunters were leasing up all the land at exorbitant prices--which was true. Now, many FL and AL hunters are traveling even further north, and joined by TN hunters, are driving up lease prices in KY. Welcome to the world of having higher scoring bucks.

 

[landman]

Its called "Perception" and although TN deer might not be as big as IA deer they are prolly bigger than FL deer and then add in a very long firearms season, over the counter tags, very liberal bag limits, and relatively cheap lease prices. It doesnt take long to see why it would appeal to out of staters. When IL changed their regs and implemented a draw system and jacked the non-resident license price, it caused KY to look very good to alot of non-residents. I 've had alot of guys tell me they cant justify paying big money for lease without any guarantee of getting drawn, so they just come to KY. Plus its closer to home for these guys as most are from FL, GA, and AL..... The landscape of deer hunting as really changed in KY and the local residents have suffered....Our Dept of fish & wildlife sold us out!!! :bash:

I remember when all I would hear in GA and AL was complaints about how all the FL hunters were leasing up all the land at exorbitant prices--which was true. Now, many FL and AL hunters are traveling even further north, and joined by TN hunters, are driving up lease prices in KY. Welcome to the world of having higher scoring bucks.

The Lease Flippers is the one thing I have seen over the last 10 years I see driving KY leases up there was a group of about 5 guys not actually working together mind you but they controlled a large amount of Western KY and pushed them online, TV and print

 

[BSK]

The Lease Flippers is the one thing I have seen over the last 10 years I see driving KY leases up there was a group of about 5 guys not actually working together mind you but they controlled a large amount of Western KY and pushed them online, TV and print

KY became a victim of their own success. What really killed them was the year they led the nation in B&C bucks. Then every form of hunting media began touting the "Hidden Gem" of KY trophy hunting. That kind of coverage caused every trophy hunter and wannabe trophy hunter to stampede to the region. Everyone wants to be part of the "hot new place." Back in the 70s and 80s I remember seeing this happen over and over again with the "hot new lake" in bass fishing. Over the last 20 years, the same has been true of hot new trophy buck area.

 

[Mike Belt]

I'd love to be able to climb into my stand locally and have a realistic potential opportunity at a 200" deer. That rules out Tn. As much as I'd like that possibility I'd rather drop down a couple of notches to a 150" deer and still be able to afford to hunt almost anywhere anytime in the state without butting heads with wads of non-resident deer hunters.

Something that amazes me about people is that if they're doing something wrong or where they shouldn't be they leave a lot of evidence that they've been there. On the other end of that spectrum, if they have a "best kept secret" scenario they can't wait to tell someone about it. In both cases to their own eventual demise. It will never happen here but if Tn touted "trophy" status deer I'd never advertise.

 

[MUP]

I consider TN a trophy state everytime I get in the stand here.

:super:

 

[TheLBLman]

You guys just need to keep in mind the "law of supply & demand" works with just about everything.

I suspect KY lease prices are now generally on a downward trend (although some will go higher); same in TN, although in TN may be more a case of plateauing out and just being kinda "stable".

Now I'm talking deer, not waterfowl, not turkey.
The "supply" side is generally much less with waterfowl, and great turkey woods may be less in supply than great deer lands.

Even if the number of hunters were not shrinking, the average hunter seems to be hunting progressively less, and less willing to pay high lease prices. For many hunters, pursuing a top-end buck was a bit of a fad or a stage in their life. Many will then hunt less, fish more, or hunt more other things while deer hunting less.

If you want to see deer lease prices in TN go out the roof, just go back to the 11-buck limit and watch half of Pennsylvania move to Tennessee for the virtually "unlimited" deer hunting (not to mention, a diverse world-class freshwater fishery).

But you need not worry about hunters in surrounding states viewing TN as a "trophy" destination over several of the states bordering TN. And if someone is going to travel to another state, many will just go where the odds are dramatically better for a top-end buck.

 

[BSK]

Sure am glad I'm not one of those trophy deer hunting bafoons, who constantly worry about what other states and people are killing. Plenty of great deer hunting right here in East Tn., with plenty of good bucks for those who care to hunt them.

But that's the problem Cowman71. Trophy hunters would have to HUNT FOR THEM. They want the state to implement rules to produce the "TV Hunting Show Experience." Sad part is, they don't exist. Those shows are so faked that experiences like those presented don't exist anywhere.

 

[Mike Belt]

I don't and have never known anyone that expected to see from their stand in Tn what they see on TV shows dedicated to horn. That's not to say those people aren't out there but over the course of years worth of hunting I haven't met one. I can also say that I've yet to meet any one of them that even remotely thought by adding food plots, etc. that would be the outcome. If you guys hunt around any of these people you are for sure in the company of bafoons and I can understand your ridicule of them.

 

[TNRifleman]

Sure am glad I'm not one of those trophy deer hunting bafoons, who constantly worry about what other states and people are killing. Plenty of great deer hunting right here in East Tn., with plenty of good bucks for those who care to hunt them.

But that's the problem Cowman71. Trophy hunters would have to HUNT FOR THEM. They want the state to implement rules to produce the "TV Hunting Show Experience." Sad part is, they don't exist. Those shows are so faked that experiences like those presented don't exist anywhere.

This is something I have contemplated myself in the past. I hunt public land a lot. I put in a fair amount of boot leather time scouting and trying to learn the area and where the deer may be. I then tote my climber a mile to a mile and a half from the parking area so along with my bow (or MZ for the one week this WMA is open to MZ) and try to kill a highly pressured public land deer. If I happen to kill a deer, I then get to walk out, get my game cart and bring the deer out the old fashioned way. When I am sitting in my stand out there, I consider myself a hunter because of the work put into the front end and the back end.

On the other hand, I have gone to a leased farm where I was delivered to an elevated box blind via a 4 wheeler, climbed the ladder, flipped on the propane heater and watched over a food plot that deer regularly frequent. If I shoot a deer there, I field dress it and then my buddy picks me and the deer up with the four wheeler and we deliver it to the processor. In the second scenario, I consider myself a shooter, not a hunter. Being a shooter still puts meat in my freezer and I am thankful for that but I do not get near the sense of accomplishment that I do from the first scenario.

 

[Mike Belt]

TnRifle...I agree you 100% but I can't recall a single time while dragging a dead deer out of the woods that I really appreciated the fact that I only had 1 1/2 miles left to drag, or that I would have turned down the offer of someone hauling him out instead, lol.

 

[TNRifleman]

TnRifle...I agree you 100% but I can't recall a single time while dragging a dead deer out of the woods that I really appreciated the fact that I only had 1 1/2 miles left to drag, or that I would have turned down the offer of someone hauling him out instead, lol.

I am just happy to have a cart. Growing up hunting in the mountains of PA with my Gramps, Dad and 2 uncles, I was the designated deer dragger. And we used this really nifty contraption called a rope Man did I pray for snow back in those days.

 

[TheLBLman]

I don't and have never known anyone that expected to see from their stand in Tn what they see on TV shows dedicated to horn. That's not to say those people aren't out there but over the course of years worth of hunting I haven't met one. I can also say that I've yet to meet any one of them that even remotely thought by adding food plots, etc. that would be the outcome. If you guys hunt around any of these people you are for sure in the company of bafoons and I can understand your ridicule of them.

Same here, Mike.
Much of the negative "crap" is being greatly exaggerated, and I really appreciate the more positive reality of your posts.

I think what some are posting is more the problem than what problems actually exist.
Posting divisive "my way or the highway" crap is mainly just dividing and angering other hunters over problems that in reality may hardly exist.
Some of you are behaving every bit as divisive as those commissioners and other hunters you criticize.
Opinions differ, your mileage may vary.

 

[muddyboots]

Yea I'm a trophy hunter and don't know anyone who thinks or acts like yawl are Talking about. Yes I'm sorry for yawl hunting around people like that. And as far as the tv hunts go I have several hunts a year as good or better than most I watch in tv so to say that experience is unattainable is just not a true statement. But now you can't have what yawl call a tv experience hunt if u shoot every doe and spike u see.

 

[SAWDUST]

Much of the negative "crap" is being greatly exaggerated, and I really appreciate the more positive reality of your posts.

I think what some are posting is more the problem than what problems actually exist.
Posting divisive "my way or the highway" crap is mainly just dividing and angering other hunters over problems that in reality may hardly exist.
Some of you are behaving every bit as divisive as those commissioners and other hunters you criticize.

100% AGREE ....Some act like the sky fell already. Yes everyone has a opinion but good lord the division amongst hunters is only getting worse and worse.The chill pill needs to be taken as prescribed.

 

[SEC]

TN would have to have something unique or some giant bucks and it has neither to draw hunters from afar. We have some beautiful settings and plenty of good deer but nothing too unique.

Agreed. We have Eastern mountain hunting but so do many other states.

We also have long gun seasons, but I believe South Carolina's are still longer, and Alabama might be close.

The whole state does not have Eastern mountain hunting. What about us flatlanders over here on the west side?

 

[Roost 1]

If anyone thinks these guys from FL GA AL are just looking for 200" deer you better think again because they are killing almost every 120"-130" buck they see, because he looks like a giant... TN has plenty of these size deer. I'm not really glooming and dooming anything I'm just saying that once they perceive they can kill these kind of deer in TN they will be moving in...The 3 buck limit ,now 2 buck limit, is what keeps them out now because the perception is Tn kills too many bucks to have any big ones... I assure very few ever kno when I kill a buck, I kno the consequences!!!!!

 

[TX300mag]

Will TN ever produce quantities of trophy deer on the scale of KY, IL, OH, or even TX? Of course not.

Will that stop people from constantly pursuing regulation changes? Nope. It may actually fuel the changes more.

I disagree that lease prices are dropping. They are rising and will continue to. People aren't paying lots of money in hopes of shooting quantities of deer, that's silly. But for a perceived opportunity at a big buck? Absolutely.


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[Roost 1]

The Lease Flippers is the one thing I have seen over the last 10 years I see driving KY leases up there was a group of about 5 guys not actually working together mind you but they controlled a large amount of Western KY and pushed them online, TV and print

KY became a victim of their own success. What really killed them was the year they led the nation in B&C bucks. Then every form of hunting media began touting the "Hidden Gem" of KY trophy hunting. That kind of coverage caused every trophy hunter and wannabe trophy hunter to stampede to the region. Everyone wants to be part of the "hot new place." Back in the 70s and 80s I remember seeing this happen over and over again with the "hot new lake" in bass fishing. Over the last 20 years, the same has been true of hot new trophy buck area.

Please clarify who you are referring to when you say KY.... I guarantee you it's not the resident hunters that pushed this!! :bash: it's our dang KDFWR!!! Like I said they sold us(resident hunters) out for the cost of non-resident hunting licenses.. When our resource is depleted and the non-residents move on to next "hot new spot", we( local guys) will be the ones getting blamed for whatever crazy reasons that can be conjured up!!! My point to all these posts I make is that you guys don't want your state to become a trophy state whether it's reality or perception!!!! I'd be fighting it tooth and nail. Those that haven't experienced the influx of non-resident hunters with deep pockets can't realize how bad it is...

 

[BSK]

TN would have to have something unique or some giant bucks and it has neither to draw hunters from afar. We have some beautiful settings and plenty of good deer but nothing too unique.

Agreed. We have Eastern mountain hunting but so do many other states.

We also have long gun seasons, but I believe South Carolina's are still longer, and Alabama might be close.

The whole state does not have Eastern mountain hunting. What about us flatlanders over here on the west side?

Just commenting that the state of TN has that to offer as a draw to hunters from other states. Wasn't suggesting it existed everywhere. Kind of like river-bottom hunting. We have it in TN, but certainly not everywhere.
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