gates torn down, locks cut off...

[recurve60#]

It's the ole, " I've hunted here since I was a kid" mentality and so has my family. Most times without permission for a generation.
They tear down gates, cut fences and burn the property if they feel like it.

 

[mike243]

Seen it firsthand in Cumberland county, big reason I got my carry permit, somebody shot the lock off the front gate with 300wm. had heard a shot down that way and they evidently shot a deer on us and were to lazy to drag it out.

 

[timberjack86]

I got a license check from our local USFS officer coming out of N.Cherokee last year up in Unicoi county. He was an awesome guy. Anyway,told him about guys opening the gate and being up in the woods about 1.75-2 miles. He wasn't too surprised and began to tell me about the problem they have with houndsmen nationwide and especially here in the south. Evidently they pass a skeleton key around to all of the hound clubs and just go onto forest service land whenever they want under the guise of "chasing" their dogs. Didn't really surprise me.

That's a new one on me. Haven't heard that hound hunting in South Cherokee. Have seen where drunks and party goes tore down a gate or two. Got blamed on us hound hunters of course.

 

[J.A.F.O.]

That's a new one on me. Haven't heard that hound hunting in South Cherokee. Have seen where drunks and party goes tore down a gate or two. Got blamed on us hound hunters of course.

Just what I was told by someone whose job is in that stuff everyday. I've ran across bear hunters with dogs on foot once and they were actually extremely nice and invited me along if I wanted as I had a bear tag too. Also,didn't say the houndsmen tore down gates…I said the officer told me that they are known to pass a gate key around and open them at their leisure to chase their dogs. Along with others I will definitely agree that almost all of the destructive behavior is from the good ole boys that we have a plenty of up here.
I asked the obvious about key changes and then he stated the other obvious point of everyone in the USFS keeping up with new key here old key there so a lot are keyed the same. Made sense as he told me.
No offense intended.

 

[Wooden Arrow]

you either haven't lived in ETN very long or you have your head in the sand.

been here 67 years, and no sand. his comment and your reply framed it out as normal, and it's not. i've seen it, but i don't think the behavior is prevalent. it only takes a couple of "good ol' boys" to really do some damage. i've seen vandalism and going around gates everywhere i've hunted, on both managed and private.

 

[Wooden Arrow]

. The hillsides get destroyed by side by sides.

the ATVs have over-run Catoosa. i've had morons ride under me while up in a tree stand. you'll see a truck with ramps parked at gates marked "no vehicular entry allowed".

 

[mike243]

Many years ago we camped out at the original ck station close to Wartburg , we spent time riding atv's with my grandson and nephews son , There are signs there that state closes at dark or some verbiage to that affect, about 1 am or so had 4-5 atv come out of Catoosa and head on down the road, locals as there were not any trucks parked there but ours, it wasn't deer season but still why take chances getting tickets just to ride after dark, they might have had deer tied on as I didn't get a look at them , entitled to use the property is what we ran into in Cumberland county, we were flat out told they had road atv and hunted the property all their lives and wouldn't stop. 1500ac of good hunting land we were paying to use and it was a constant battle. I am sure this goes on every where.