Chuck Swan draw for the MANCATION

M

MarlinSlayer

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I started turkey hunting last year and got a very decent gobbler with my son at the end of the season. My neighbor and I are going for a week long trek through public land in TN looking for turkeys at the end of April. He has never turkey hunted before so it will be the barely sighted leading the blind. We got drawn together for Chuck Swan at the end of April. With so many quotas for each of the hunt, I expect the birds will be very call shy by the time we get in there. I don't want to ruin anyones favorite spot, but if there is anyone who can at least give us a little intel run down on Chuck Swan so we won't waste our time on our quota hunt we would sure appreciate it. What is the terrain like? I take it there is more than enough land for 150 hunters in a weekend or will we be on top of one another?

Any info at this point will help so we can make plans. I imagine Chuck Swan is fairly prolific for turkeys or there wouldn't be so many quotas.

Also, we will be in a travel trailer�where is a good place to camp nearby?
 
Lotta of turkeys there, campground is at the entrance to the area but has no electric or water ect. pick a spot & stop & set up,no help on the location of birds but have seen them off of almost every road there. The prev area managers done a great job with food plots ,$ has been slim the last few years but still a good # of birds
 
John mike used to manage I believe. Deacon at my old church. Its a large area. Good wilderness spot. People called it " The peninsula" when i was a kid. There are himes but almost NO public development around the area. I would gamble there are alot of good spots.

Best of luck. There is a swanky community about 20 min from the wma. They have a campground. Idk if its "public access" though. The name is sunset bay. You could check about campiNg there.
 
There's no bad places there. Stay out of the fields the birds rarely seem to use them before noon and seem to stay deep in the drains and hollows for most of the morning. Last year the bird I killed was free gobbling 50 yards from my truck when I got back that way. I killed him in 5 mins, this was the last week of April.

The biggest I've seen the past few years is the morons driving around calling all freaking morning. It's gone past the point of being absurd and I really wish TWRA would ban it, as it is ruining a wonderful place. However with the mentality of most hunters seemingly getting lazier and lazier each year I think it will only get worse
 
Like others have said, there really aren't many spots you won't hear something, now killing one may be a completely different thing. Try to find a spot to yourself, and park as far out as you can stand to. These birds aren't really that pressured because you can only hunt them on the weekends, and then only til noon i think? But they still are turkeys. Recent clearcuts and grown up fields will be where the hens are nesting, and the gobblers won't be too far off. Don't expect 150 hunter either. usually around 1/2 show up and many will be "team hunting" so they won't be spread out as much.

I will say this- it sounds like a nascar race for 45 minutes or so after they open the gates, so the turkeys know what's up.
 

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