WMAs around Bell Buckle, TN

[JonKy]

Hello Friends,

I'm relatively new to hunting, with this being my third season (haven't gotten anything yet). Given my schedule and resources as a student I don't have access to private land and I also don't have much time to scope out public land, but I still end up trying to hunt on WMAs in Middle Tennessee and hike the wilderness with a rifle. Last year I hunted Yanahali for a couple weekends but couldn't get anything. It seemed really crowded a week from the start of gun season. My parents have a place near Bell Buckle TN and I was thinking about maybe hunting around in Normandy, Bedford Lake, and Owl Hollow WMAs since it saves me driving from Nashville to Columbia for Yanahali. I was wondering if any of y'all have any insight into how crowded the WMAs are and if there's enough deer density there to justify hunting there. I looked at kill counts in those WMAs and it seems like Owl Hollow is just as popular as Yanahali, but Normandy and Bedford Lake seem to be much less popular.

 

[DoubleRidge]

Welcome from Middle TN....try posting your question in the Deer Hunting Forum or the General Forum...you will probably get more input there...good luck hunting!

 

[JonKy]

Totally didn't realize that I posted this in the introduction thread. Thanks!

 

[MidTennFisher]

Hello Friends,

I'm relatively new to hunting, with this being my third season (haven't gotten anything yet). Given my schedule and resources as a student I don't have access to private land and I also don't have much time to scope out public land, but I still end up trying to hunt on WMAs in Middle Tennessee and hike the wilderness with a rifle. Last year I hunted Yanahali for a couple weekends but couldn't get anything. It seemed really crowded a week from the start of gun season. My parents have a place near Bell Buckle TN and I was thinking about maybe hunting around in Normandy, Bedford Lake, and Owl Hollow WMAs since it saves me driving from Nashville to Columbia for Yanahali. I was wondering if any of y'all have any insight into how crowded the WMAs are and if there's enough deer density there to justify hunting there. I looked at kill counts in those WMAs and it seems like Owl Hollow is just as popular as Yanahali, but Normandy and Bedford Lake seem to be much less popular.

The Bedford WMA is really small and some of it is a safety zone. Never hunted there but the lake is a nice place to fish.

Yanahli is exactly what you saw, very crowded. Despite all that, they kill a lot of stuff there so just remember that most of the trucks you see were driven by people not willing to walk more than 1/4 mile. And if we're being honest, I mean 1/4 mile on a manicured trail, not through woods. Just put some boot work in and you'll get past them.

If you don't like the crowding you saw, the best thing you could do is never post anything about TN public land hunting on Facebook, Instagram, or whatever platform the kids are using these days. Resist the temptation to get tons of "likes". All it does is contribute to more pressure that no WMA needs. I'm only telling you this because you said you're new to hunting so you may not be aware of how badly that can ruin good spots. Social media has done more damage to public land than anything else ever could. Hunt quietly.

I believe almost all of the public land around Normandy is boat access only. That used to be a good way to escape pressure until everyone started making YouTube videos about boating into your hunting spots. Now everyone with a boat or kayak is doing it.

 

[JonKy]

The Bedford WMA is really small and some of it is a safety zone. Never hunted there but the lake is a nice place to fish.

Yanahli is exactly what you saw, very crowded. Despite all that, they kill a lot of stuff there so just remember that most of the trucks you see were driven by people not willing to walk more than 1/4 mile. And if we're being honest, I mean 1/4 mile on a manicured trail, not through woods. Just put some boot work in and you'll get past them.

If you don't like the crowding you saw, the best thing you could do is never post anything about TN public land hunting on Facebook, Instagram, or whatever platform the kids are using these days. Resist the temptation to get tons of "likes". All it does is contribute to more pressure that no WMA needs. I'm only telling you this because you said you're new to hunting so you may not be aware of how badly that can ruin good spots. Social media has done more damage to public land than anything else ever could. Hunt quietly.

I believe almost all of the public land around Normandy is boat access only. That used to be a good way to escape pressure until everyone started making YouTube videos about boating into your hunting spots. Now everyone with a boat or kayak is doing it.

Thanks for the advice! I was thinking about still hunting Yanahali this year just because it's so large compared to the Normandy or Bedford lake. If I have the time I might take a look at both but we'll see. Either way I am going to make an effort to go where every isn't or don't want to go.