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jcloer

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Hi all! I'm very excited for my first trip to TN this Fall! I plan on spending 7-10 day chasing WT and, hopefully, getting after pigs, squirrels, etc! :)

I had originally planned on the week or so after Thanksgiving, but my buddy has a conflict. Now I'm looking at the 10 days leading up to Thanksgiving. But...that puts most of my hunt in the archery/muzzy season and my last few days in rifle....

I have every weapon that I'd be allowed to hunt with, but have used the muzzy very little and have a bit more experience with the bow. I also have a recently acquired crossbow, but I've never hunted with one since they aren't legal here in OR.

I'd love to hear advice on which weapon(s) I should expect to have reasonable shots with given terrain, WT behavior, etc. as well as input on ground blinds vs tree/saddle stand vs just sitting or walking the woods.

I'll be in the Benton county area primarily. Some time on a small private farm, but I also anticipate some time in public areas.

Looking forward to seeing some beautiful country and bringing home some tasty critters! :)

Thanks in advance for any/all tips and/or advice!
 
Welcome to the campfire!

It's tough to say for sure which weapons you should use because it's really situationally dependent. I approach it by being the most prepared I can be. While bow hunting is my passion, if it's ML season I carry a ML. If it's gun season I carry a rifle. This past season I killed two bucks inside of 15yds, one with ML and one with 30-06. Either one would have been easy with a bow but sure enough if that's all I had then they would have been out of range. You just never know. That's why I use the best weapon allowed during the season I'm hunting.

Whatever you choose I wish you luck and hope you have fun!
 
Just as @Ski stated it's all about the time of year . Go as often as you can for the best outcome . I guess muzzleloader season is my favorite time of the year but do bowhunt and enjoy that as well . Rifle hunting is the one weapon I've killed the most deer from . Wishing you good fortune in your endeavors.
 
Thanks all!

Agreed on all counts. Having the wrong weapon for the range is kind of like my elk "success" to date. When I have a spike tag, I watch a large branch bull for three hours. When I have a 3 pt or better tag, I have a huge spike bull broadside at 200 yards. SMH

I love archery and am dying to try hunting with a crossbow, but I always see/hear so much about WT's "jumping the string". That makes me think I should focus on the muzzleloader and rifle. If I do that, I guess that will all but guarantee one will walk into my ground blind. 😂 😂 😂
 
Ski said:
This past season I killed two bucks inside of 15yds, one with ML and one with 30-06. Either one would have been easy with a bow but sure enough if that's all I had then they would have been out of range.
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Funny how that works, I have killed several in bow range with muzzleloader and rifle after having the same deer just out of bow range during archery.
 
As others have stated, you will be here during prime rut during a normal "rut" year. My preference is the first half of November in nearby Carroll county.

I think you will really enjoy your time here. Best of luck and look forward to hearing your reports
 
cbhunter said:
As others have stated, you will be here during prime rut during a normal "rut" year. My preference is the first half of November in nearby Carroll county.

I think you will really enjoy your time here. Best of luck and look forward to hearing your reports
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Thanks!! I hope to have the problem of worrying about how to get a bunch of meat home! Even if I don't, I expect that I will love the country and the experience of hunting somewhere new! :)

We don't have pigs here to get after and I've only just started the idea of seriously hunting squirrels. Maybe I'll learn all about it while I'm there! Wait...that means bringing my suppressed 10/22 takedown too though... lol
 
If you're expecting to get after pigs, you will have to go where pigs are. They aren't in a majority of the state, only select areas. Even counties that have had pigs for 60 years don't have them in the entire county.
 
Wrong part of the state of pigs and count your blessings. That should be prime time for the rut. Rifle opens the Saturday before Thanksgiving and muzzleloader 2 weeks before that but you can hunt straight through with any "lesser" weapon. If you're hunting in the woods, weapon range won't be as big a factor as you might think. Most of our woods are thick and will limit how far you can shoot anyways.

I would focus on getting off the ground in likely spots regardless of the weapon you are toting. Blinds are fine for fields if you have a good exit strategy.
 
Sounds like deer and maybe squirrels then. :) Depending on success rates for us...we might solely get after WT. But...I don't want to kill so many that we kill ourselves getting them processed. I also have yet to get quotes on what it will cost to ship meat home. 😬 That being said, if we do get lucky and take numerous deer, we'll be taking a bunch of it to local butchers who donate it to families in need. Win win.
 
jcloer said:
I love archery and am dying to try hunting with a crossbow, but I always see/hear so much about WT's "jumping the string". That makes me think I should focus on the muzzleloader and rifle.
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That's nothing to worry about. It can happen but not often enough to plan for, especially with a crossbow. If you keep your shots inside 30yds and only shoot at deer that aren't alert looking at you, there should be nothing to worry about.
 
jcloer said:
That being said, if we do get lucky and take numerous deer, we'll be taking a bunch of it to local butchers who donate it to families in need. Win win.
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Not as many processors in west Tennessee as there used to be, but sure someone in that area could give you a suggestion for one that participates in hunters for the hungry.
 
In my experience, choice of weapon is the last thing on the list (actually almost irrelevent) when it comes to being successful at killing mature bucks.

You need to focus on when the peak seeking phase is going on in Benton county (I have NO IDEA when that is). Then use whatever weapon is in season during that peak.

Now if you are coming to whack and stack and not hunting mature bucks, id go opening of rifle.
 

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