Anyone frequently hunt this area? If so what are your thoughts on it? I live 20 minutes from it but haven't really spent enough time on it to make an assesment. Beautiful area but fresh sign seemed a bit scarce.
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Foothills WMA.
- Thread starter Chickencoop96
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lawdog
Well-Known Member
It's rough as a cob. Probably more bears and hogs than deer. However, if you do kill one, it will probably be a goodern.
Sounds like south cherokee to me which makes sense given the proximity.
I use to bear hunt there for years during the early bowhunt, no dogs. I never saw a deer. I did find a pile of droppings once.
MickThompson
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The manager has gotten really aggressive with timber management and burning and it's much better than when I lived close by
Stayinthewoods
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It's either straight up or straight down. Only 3 access points. One off Six Mile Road, Happy Valley, and by Chilhowee Lake. If I were going to hunt it, I'd bring everything you need to skin a deer out where you kill (after you check it in of course). It doesn't get hardly any pressure at all during deer season. I go squirrel hunting there once or twice a year there. I've found buck sign, but it's scarce. Really wish they would let people drive on the main logging road on it. I would definitely hunt it if they would.
I'd say if they let people drive those roads they would have a lot of unwanted attention to it, but yes it would be a lot nicer than that 45 minute walk to the top.
Stayinthewoods
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Yeah and that's true. It would go from little to no pressure to hunted hard. Definitely a lot more bear hunting would happen there. I guess I'd rather hunt something that's harder to get to than convenience and a bunch of pressure.
i did see a little sign too but was weeks old and i didn't find much else
it's a real pretty area i know that for sure.
It's a big area and I didn't see any deer either. but i did see a couple tracks and some old dry droppings.
can you gun hunt it? or is it just bow, MZ, and shotgun?
lawdog
Well-Known Member
Yes, you can gun hunt it.
I checked the regs but they were unclear lol
Has anyone of ya'll been up to the top of Chilhowee mtn up here? seems like a weekend hike to me lmao
Ive been to the top. I wouldnt wanna kill anything up there unless you have a pack frame and quarter up or bone out the meat.
I have, many times. From both sides. I don't live in the area anymore, so it's probably been 7 or 8 years since I've been to the top. There's a fire ring and trash from people camping in the gap where the powerline trail goes over the top. This is a good time of the year to hunt there. I hunted it hard the week between Christmas and New Years almost every year I lived out there. The spine of the mountain has a trail cut between the powerlines and it's always got fresh scrapes in it around now. Take a backpack, gamebags, and lots of snacks and water.
