MickThompson
Well-Known Member
I think part of it is expectations- when good bucks can be found more and more across the state, it takes the shine off a place that used to be the only place to experience that.Hey bud not being argumentative, if it came off that way. I had a neighbor that hunted it in the 70s, 80s and 90s. He always talked how great the place was and he had the wall to prove it, im talking studs. My dad also hunted it back in the glory days and saw what he said was 2 of the largest deer he's ever saw. I've got family that has a farm that borders catoosa they've went from seeing 20 deer an evening to now seeing 2-3 deer a week.So, for that reason I started hunting it in early 00s. I've hunted it and seen some dandy's. Honestly 2 years ago was my best year for sightings but it took years to decipher that area out to give my best accessibility to the spot so that other hunters would push deer to me. I'm not sure without the orange army that I'd even saw deer. I do however get what your saying about deer to hunter ratio for wmas. Tennessee in general is lacking management on public ground. All public ground. 4 on one side or this 9 pt rule crap is not management. I saw a 70 inch 9 pt 2y/o this morning. I've got a 7 pt that may possibly make 120plus that I know is 4.5. If I was a manager which do I shoot. lol. I guess you see why we're a bit aggravated over Twra and the program they've set. I won't get into the rest of it, maybe others will speak up. By the way they may have been clear cuts then to, but they weren't clear cut happy like today. You said you haven't been there for a good long while. Be ready to have the wind took out your sails. It's a clearcut.
What would you suggest for regulations to bring it back?
I hear many stories of Catoosa hunters ground checking multiple bucks- either to find a dead one that finally meets the minimum or only checking the biggest legal one. And lots of concern over road hunting. I'm not sure how to fix either one of those