Anyone out there still hunting? I'm going to try again this weekend and hopefully scout for the upcoming Christmas hunt on South Cherokee.
Tn Bear?
- Thread starter timberjack86
- Start date
Stykbow
Well-Known Member
Good luck. Hope you kill a good one.
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I am following this topic as well. Never been bear hunting and wouldn't know where to begin in Tennessee. Whats the best areas for public land bear hunting? I am assuming still hunting is the primary option for people without dogs? I would love an opportunity at a bear sometime, so I am starting my research if anyone has some helpful info.
Atchman2
Well-Known Member
I wish I knew where to still hunt them. Many states allow baiting for bears during the season. In Tennessee, they can bait but it has to be gone two weeks prior to when you hunt. There is no baiting on public land allowed.
I think your best bet is to hire a guide if your really want to kill one. You could wander for days in the mountains and never see a bear. What I think I would do is some aggressive scouting during the small game season. Perhaps then I would do two things 1) I would use my predator call if I were in an area with sign. What do I have to lose? 2) I've heard of this, but not sure of the legality. I've heard of guys warming up honey on a small stove as an attractant. Since you aren't putting it out for "bait". I just don't know. I would for certain call the local TWRA agent before I tried it.
I think your best bet is to hire a guide if your really want to kill one. You could wander for days in the mountains and never see a bear. What I think I would do is some aggressive scouting during the small game season. Perhaps then I would do two things 1) I would use my predator call if I were in an area with sign. What do I have to lose? 2) I've heard of this, but not sure of the legality. I've heard of guys warming up honey on a small stove as an attractant. Since you aren't putting it out for "bait". I just don't know. I would for certain call the local TWRA agent before I tried it.
redheadshooter
Well-Known Member
I was turkey hunting on the east side of the state one day in a bear zone and saw 5 bears. 2 boars (I assume by the look) and 1 sal with 3 cubs, and was done hunting by 11 am. With that being said, I never went back to check it out during bear season considering I live within 10 miles of the Mississippi river!
The honey is a no-go because it is food/bait. As far as the predator call, while hunting coyotes in the small game season, I've had a few bears come to a call and each time I was using a piglet in distress sound. Never had one come in to any other sound.Atchman2":1ggubgtw said:
Stykbow
Well-Known Member
I hired a guide to bear hunt once...once! I'd have done as well to burn my money and go on my own. I'm not saying that there aren't some good ones, I'm just saying do some serious research before you hire one.
If you're going to be stupid, you'd better be tough!
If you're going to be stupid, you'd better be tough!
Atchman2
Well-Known Member
Well since I am not using it as "bait". I just want it for scent. No reason to "poke the warden" though.[emoji23][emoji23]CATCHDAWG":2lxl493h said:
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Atchman2
Well-Known Member
Hopefully you can tag him this fall. There's no better wild game meat imo.
Nice - keeps the hope alive for sure
rmmonty32
Well-Known Member
Im just gonna hunt next to my trash cans this season. JK
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41Magnum
Well-Known Member
Healthy!
Nice
waynesworld
Well-Known Member
So have a question for those out east around Sevierville, is there some public land that you can hunt deer and have chances to get a bear?
rmmonty32
Well-Known Member
North Cherokee wma is going to be closest to Sevierville but i wouldn't call it close. You would have to check the regs on that wma. I know on South Cherokee bear and deer hunting do not coincide.waynesworld":34svbfi1 said:
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Nsghunter
Well-Known Member
Disclaimer: I HAVE NEVER KILLED A BEAR, I have researched beer hunting a lot but due to time limitations I've never been. These are the pieces of wisdom I've gathered.
There are other tactics but the two I've heard that make the most sense in East TN (without dogs) is to go to Cherokee National forest, during a gun hunt and find areas near the bear reserves and walk the trails and forest service roads and still hunt this way. Make sure that you are not in the reserves while you are hunting. Also, there is a time when bears begin to eat EVERYTHING, and they make a terrible amount of noise and its more obvious where they are. Now I don't know when this feeding pattern begins but I know of more than one person on this forum who have had success hunting bear this way in CNF, and in Foothills WMA. This type of behavior can be incidentally discovered while deer hunting if deer season is open. CNF seasons DO NOT always correlate with statewide season.
Foothills WMA holds good bear population, some of it joins the GSMNP and most is near it. The portion of Foothills and CNF that is on the Dragon is also rumored to be good areas.
Of note, be careful who you hunt with and make sure you ask questions related to the legality of their tactics, before you decide to go.
I have been invited to hunt with two prominent East TN. houndsmen over the last few years only to discover they are frequently involved with illegal hunting tactics from hunting in the Smokey's down to running bait sites all year and during the hunt, even killing over active bait.
I would call and ask Bill Smith ,the manager of Foothills WMA and the area mangers of CNF and also, the forest service guys where they might see bear.
It can be a lot of walking but it sounds like loads of fun, remember when you shoot a 2-300# bear, they can sprint around 40 MPH before they die and they might end up in some scruffy stuff when they die... That could lead to a nasty blood trail and DIFFICULT haul out. Be prepared
Proof of sex must be maintained on the animal and they can clog up the entrance and exit wounds with there fatty layer pretty easily. Ive read from guides in Maine and BC that .30 projectiles can result in crummy blood trails and those greater than .40 really ensure better tracking success because they obviously bleed better and longer (Muzzleloaders are a great choice because most of us have them). Although, I met a poacher who had killed over 60 bears in his lifetime and he used a .22 on most of them. (easy to shoot in the head when he's burried in bait pile.) He also shot a number of these in the smokies.
If I was going to pay for a ( non-dog) guided hunt, I would honestly go to North Carolina, they used to say that their black bear population/hunting regulations provided a better hunting opportunity. I will simply employ the tactics I talked about above when I go.
Also, a lot of hound hunters LOVE to bring people along and that can take out some of the leg work for you and the hard work for them.
PM me for more details. I would be happy to help in any way that I can.
There are other tactics but the two I've heard that make the most sense in East TN (without dogs) is to go to Cherokee National forest, during a gun hunt and find areas near the bear reserves and walk the trails and forest service roads and still hunt this way. Make sure that you are not in the reserves while you are hunting. Also, there is a time when bears begin to eat EVERYTHING, and they make a terrible amount of noise and its more obvious where they are. Now I don't know when this feeding pattern begins but I know of more than one person on this forum who have had success hunting bear this way in CNF, and in Foothills WMA. This type of behavior can be incidentally discovered while deer hunting if deer season is open. CNF seasons DO NOT always correlate with statewide season.
Foothills WMA holds good bear population, some of it joins the GSMNP and most is near it. The portion of Foothills and CNF that is on the Dragon is also rumored to be good areas.
Of note, be careful who you hunt with and make sure you ask questions related to the legality of their tactics, before you decide to go.
I have been invited to hunt with two prominent East TN. houndsmen over the last few years only to discover they are frequently involved with illegal hunting tactics from hunting in the Smokey's down to running bait sites all year and during the hunt, even killing over active bait.
I would call and ask Bill Smith ,the manager of Foothills WMA and the area mangers of CNF and also, the forest service guys where they might see bear.
It can be a lot of walking but it sounds like loads of fun, remember when you shoot a 2-300# bear, they can sprint around 40 MPH before they die and they might end up in some scruffy stuff when they die... That could lead to a nasty blood trail and DIFFICULT haul out. Be prepared
Proof of sex must be maintained on the animal and they can clog up the entrance and exit wounds with there fatty layer pretty easily. Ive read from guides in Maine and BC that .30 projectiles can result in crummy blood trails and those greater than .40 really ensure better tracking success because they obviously bleed better and longer (Muzzleloaders are a great choice because most of us have them). Although, I met a poacher who had killed over 60 bears in his lifetime and he used a .22 on most of them. (easy to shoot in the head when he's burried in bait pile.) He also shot a number of these in the smokies.
If I was going to pay for a ( non-dog) guided hunt, I would honestly go to North Carolina, they used to say that their black bear population/hunting regulations provided a better hunting opportunity. I will simply employ the tactics I talked about above when I go.
Also, a lot of hound hunters LOVE to bring people along and that can take out some of the leg work for you and the hard work for them.
PM me for more details. I would be happy to help in any way that I can.
