Let's Talk Catoosa

[MickThompson]

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.

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.

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

 

[quackaholic]

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.

Never thought you were arguing, so don't worry about that. I'm just a little curious as to different thoughts on the place. I never thought it was a great place. I know for a fact it's hard to hunt and you can never do the scouting that the area game managers do and pass that info to their families. And yes I had one tell me he did so. When he saw good ones he kept tabs on them and made sure they knew where to go. I am inclined to think that they should allow more open hunting and less draws. No rifle hunts period and no antler restrictions.

 

[East TN Bowhunter]

Never thought you were arguing, so don't worry about that. I'm just a little curious as to different thoughts on the place. I never thought it was a great place. I know for a fact it's hard to hunt and you can never do the scouting that the area game managers do and pass that info to their families. And yes I had one tell me he did so. When he saw good ones he kept tabs on them and made sure they knew where to go. I am inclined to think that they should allow more open hunting and less draws. No rifle hunts period and no antler restrictions.

That would be awesome, but way too many gun hunters that would be tore up about no gun hunts. I do like the 4 on one side bc in my opinion it does keep atleast most of the 1-2yr olds alive til they hit 3. I think it is better than no restrictions at all, but I am not sure what the better answer would be than 4 on one side or 15inch spread. It is a tough hunt with lots of doe groups and big steep draws everywhere you go. I think scouting 10x more than you hunt is probably the most important factor to success there. I also think the weather helped play a significant role in the number of does that were killed during the open bow hunt this year as well as limited acorn crop=more movement.

 

[quackaholic]

Just a thought on the area and hunters walking around you. That isn't the areas fault, nor the management of the area. That is a direct result of stupidity. Albeit sometimes it can be accidental when you walk in from one direction and walk up on someone who came from another. But if you park where another guy is parked, you have to know you have probably seen the same sign and have the same location in mind, so if you are not there first....move on down the road. Don't just walk in hoping to cut that person off. Most likely there is more than one with him already going to that spot.

 

[Billboy]

Last time I hunted there a nice 6pt walked right under my stand. About 2 minutes later I heard a shot a few hundred yards away, coming from the direction he was headed. On my way out at lunchtime, he was laying dead, no hunter to be found. I'm sure this happens all the time. Between this behavior and all my favorite spots being clearcut, I've never been back.

 

[Pso94]

Last time I hunted there a nice 6pt walked right under my stand. About 2 minutes later I heard a shot a few hundred yards away, coming from the direction he was headed. On my way out at lunchtime, he was laying dead, no hunter to be found. I'm sure this happens all the time. Between this behavior and all my favorite spots being clearcut, I've never been back.

So where does everyone go that all this talk of too many hunters in one place? Bicolor or genesis? I'd LOVE to avoid every Elmer and weekend warrior but sometimes you can't help it. Like most- if someone is parked there, we keep driving but at some point you have to pull in somewhere and just hope you avoid them or they avoid you. I'm not offended when someone walks up- miffed but I get it. Ain't their fault. Especially in bicolor. Call it what you want but It's completely attributed to too many tags for that timing.

 

[Volbuck777]

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.

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

I honestly don't feel like they should be a restriction on bucks. If people are ground checking bucks it's the hunters that are going to kill the first deer they see anyway. So why give them an opportunity to kill two. They shot the one that wasn't legal and left it laying because they're afraid of what may happen to them and now they get another chance and may do it again. If the 2nd is legal they've still taken 2 bucks and neither one is going to get any older. In this case let them kill the 4 pt and let them be happy with it and go on their way. You just saved a buck. The other type of hunter is the one with trigger restraint. He could have a nice 10 walk by but won't shoot because it's a 2.5 y/o. That 4 on one side doesn't concern him either way. He's a trophy hunter that doesn't lift his gun unless he knows it's going on the wall. So what good is restrictions in this case. Is it saving deer or leaving more for bears and coyotes to eat. I hate that they took away the bonus buck personally. It would make sense if it was a desirable hunt, it's not. A lot of guys that go there it's because tradition of camping with their buddies. I believe they need to cut back on the number of hunters per hunt also. At one time the area could take that number of hunters, but with all the acreage of cutover it confines hunters to certain areas. Now we're all aggravated because we're all hunting on top of each other. I've hunted public in other states. Ohio, Indiana, Georgia. They all have better opportunities at bigger deer with more hunters and no restrictions. More big deer getting killed more sightings on open hunts not draws. Plus alot of out of state hunters. It's desirable. Just my 2 cents.

 

[MickThompson]

I honestly don't feel like they should be a restriction on bucks. If people are ground checking bucks it's the hunters that are going to kill the first deer they see anyway. So why give them an opportunity to kill two. They shot the one that wasn't legal and left it laying because they're afraid of what may happen to them and now they get another chance and may do it again. If the 2nd is legal they've still taken 2 bucks and neither one is going to get any older. In this case let them kill the 4 pt and let them be happy with it and go on their way. You just saved a buck. The other type of hunter is the one with trigger restraint. He could have a nice 10 walk by but won't shoot because it's a 2.5 y/o. That 4 on one side doesn't concern him either way. He's a trophy hunter that doesn't lift his gun unless he knows it's going on the wall. So what good is restrictions in this case. Is it saving deer or leaving more for bears and coyotes to eat. I hate that they took away the bonus buck personally. It would make sense if it was a desirable hunt, it's not. A lot of guys that go there it's because tradition of camping with their buddies. I believe they need to cut back on the number of hunters per hunt also. At one time the area could take that number of hunters, but with all the acreage of cutover it confines hunters to certain areas. Now we're all aggravated because we're all hunting on top of each other. I've hunted public in other states. Ohio, Indiana, Georgia. They all have better opportunities at bigger deer with more hunters and no restrictions. More big deer getting killed more sightings on open hunts not draws. Plus alot of out of state hunters. It's desirable. Just my 2 cents.

That only works towards improving the hunting if 1) they check the first one they kill regardless of size, and 2) the hunter quota is significantly reduced. Poachers are gonna poach and cheaters are gonna cheat- bottom line.

Will Catoosa hunters tolerate needing 2-3 points to hunt? The ARs probably do more to allow higher hunter participation than to grow "monster bucks". Keep in mind that "15 inches or 4 points on a side" are designed to protect almost all yearlings, not to get deer to 4.5+ yo.

Ohio and Indiana have completely different soils, angriculture, and genetics- that's not even remotely an apples to apples comparison.