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This will be my first year hunting public land, specifically the South Cherokee WMA. Are most of you guys that hunt public land finding a spot and posting up, or are you slow stalking through? I've been a stand/blind hunter my whole life, so this is new to me. I just want to be sure that I'm following proper etiquette on public land.
 
swampbadger said:
wear your orange and hunt your hunt! good luck!
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Mature bucks on WMAs are used to hunters trying to be quite and slip around. I like to run through the woods as fast as I can for about 40 yds. Then stop and grunt, wait about 3 mins and sprint again, stop and grunt. The bucks most of time just stand there and look at you, giving plenty time for a shot. I'm getting too old for this tactic so I'm passing along some secrets I have figured out over the years.
 
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South Cherokee can be some rough country, esp Tellico area. some serious stuff to move through, laurel "hells" etc. in warm weather, watch for snakes. i normally see more bears than deer... beautiful country.
 
Rackseeker said:
Mature bucks on WMAs are used to hunters trying to be quite and slip around. I like to run through the woods as fast as I can for about 40 yds. Then stop and grunt, wait about 3 mins and sprint again, stop and grunt. The bucks most of time just stand there and look at you, giving plenty time for a shot. I'm getting too old for this tactic so I'm passing along some secrets I have figured out over the years.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the pro-tip! 😉
 
Wooden Arrow said:
South Cherokee can be some rough country, esp Tellico area. some serious stuff to move through, laurel "hells" etc. in warm weather, watch for snakes. i normally see more bears than deer... beautiful country.
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That's what I've gathered so far from the forum and other sources. It's just the closest to home so I figured I would start there.
 
Rackseeker said:
lol..I'm far from being able to give out any pro tips.
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your "run through the woods" is not outlandish at all. i killed my biggest buck after a doe spotted (not scented) me and started running around in the leaves. he popped over the ridge into view after hearing her commotion.
 
Wooden Arrow said:
your "run through the woods" is not outlandish at all. i killed my biggest buck after a doe spotted (not scented) me and started running around in the leaves. he popped over the ridge into view after hearing her commotion.
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I saw a fella at Ft. Campbell doing what I described several years ago. He was active military and in excellent shape. I was about 30ft up in my climber and heard a buck grunt behind me. Then all of a sudden, I seen a hunter running through the woods. He wasn't wearing any orange at all. I whistled at him and he came to base of the tree I was in and said he was sorry for coming by me.We talked briefly and I told him he might want to consider wearing orange. He just gave me a look and left out.
 
Rackseeker said:
he might want to consider wearing orange.
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good way to get killed in a "hunting accident". found an imbecile wearing all brown hunting up above Frog Level years ago. he told us he didn't wear the (legally required) orange because he was a "trophy hunter"... whatever the hell that meant.
 

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