• Help Support TNDeer:

Oak ridge archery

A little off topic but years ago I hunted the Tower Shielding hunt there. Do they still have that hunt? It used to be the one to put in for but that was like 30+ years ago.
 
7mmWSM said:
A little off topic but years ago I hunted the Tower Shielding hunt there. Do they still have that hunt? It used to be the one to put in for but that was like 30+ years ago.
Click to expand...
Yes its a part of Zone 2 archery zone. From what I see they consolidated all the old archery zones into one huntable zone. It's also still where most people hunt.
 
I went by the check in station when I left work today. At 2:30 when I left there, 12 deer checked in, 10bucks, 2 doe
 

Attachments

  • CA37B9ED-AFA9-4291-A9D2-DB510196025A.jpeg
    CA37B9ED-AFA9-4291-A9D2-DB510196025A.jpeg
    219.4 KB · Views: 17
I spent some time walking through some of the best habitat in the badged only areas and safety zones for some work last week. I did see some big sign but just not the deer there once were.
 
Snake said:
I couldn't never get that hunt but always wanted it because of the stories of big bucks .
Click to expand...
Yes back then they killed some giants in there.
The way I got drawn for it was TWRA canceled the hunt I got drawn for. When that happened they gave me my choice so I picked Oak ridge Tower Shielding Area to hunt. Long drive but worth the time to go there. But back then I remember some of the bigger bucks got tested for radiation I think it was. A lot of bucks were kept and all the hunter got to do was get their picture made with their buck before it was kept by the state.
 
7mmWSM said:
Yes back then they killed some giants in there.
The way I got drawn for it was TWRA canceled the hunt I got drawn for. When that happened they gave me my choice so I picked Oak ridge Tower Shielding Area to hunt. Long drive but worth the time to go there. But back then I remember some of the bigger bucks got tested for radiation I think it was. A lot of bucks were kept and all the hunter got to do was get their picture made with their buck before it was kept by the state.
Click to expand...
I got hung up on putting in for VAAP and hunted there a couple times missed a giant there with a borrowed shotgun . Then got hung up on Yuchi so just don't put in for OR anymore . I've had success there , killed two decent eight pointers and one doe at last minute of the last day 😀 . Never got to hunt Tower Shielding area though and always wanted to .
 
Snake said:
I got hung up on putting in for VAAP and hunted there a couple times missed a giant there with a borrowed shotgun . Then got hung up on Yuchi so just don't put in for OR anymore . I've had success there , killed two decent eight pointers and one doe at last minute of the last day 😀 . Never got to hunt Tower Shielding area though and always wanted to .
Click to expand...
Back then I had to check in/out through the guard station. Chain link fence around the area. Probably still is though.
 
Snake said:
Notice something ???? No real old bucks , oldest 3.5 . They ain't old for a reason, when those trucks start rolling in those old bucks head for safety zones 😉
Click to expand...
I'd speculate a greater reason is hunting around the edges, and some target poaching of big bucks within. Add to this the deer population was down, so maybe simply not that many 4 1/2 & older bucks to begin with?
 
It would be interesting to see the final tally for the last decade. I think it was around 2017 or so they did away with Antler Restriction. This seems to be about the same time the pictures and reports of the really big/older bucks disappeared. Whether you like them or not, 4 on one side, saved a lot of younger deer. I understand the hunt is now about killing deer for population control. I just don't see Oak Ridge ever being a premium quota again.
 
TheLBLman said:
I'd speculate a greater reason is hunting around the edges, and some target poaching of big bucks within. Add to this the deer population was down, so maybe simply not that many 4 1/2 & older bucks to begin with?
Click to expand...
I definitely believe some of that is going on, but I also think that all of the development around the fringe is creating "safe zones" that never existed before. These are properties that used to get hunting pressure and not give the deer a reason to leave ORWMA. They're simply not being hunted now and the little pockets of woods are perfect places for a mature buck to lay-up for a weekend.
 
Snake said:
Notice something ???? No real old bucks , oldest 3.5 . They ain't old for a reason, when those trucks start rolling in those old bucks head for safety zones 😉
Click to expand...
Or it could be the fact that there hasn't been antler restrictions for years. Once they lifted the restrictions the over all quality went down.
 
TheLBLman said:
I'd speculate a greater reason is hunting around the edges, and some target poaching of big bucks within. Add to this the deer population was down, so maybe simply not that many 4 1/2 & older bucks to begin with?
Click to expand...
That big of an area ???? We all know how elusive older mature bucks get . Surely there are an ample supply of them roaming those areas . With all the scouting beforehand and trucks piling in the day of hunts is a sign to go to your happy place . Plus it's not like public that gets hunted year round so when the excitement settles down they can go about business. They killed some older does but not bucks hummmm.
 
We scouted last weekend only to find a good bit of the archery zone inaccessible. Roads that have normal archery zone on one side and badged access archery zone on the other side can only be traveled by badged access archery hunters. That shuts non-badged hunters out of thousands of acres marked as non-badged normal archery areas. Glad I didn't waste a draw on it by getting it as a leftover permit. What a joke.
 
jlanecr500 said:
We scouted last weekend only to find a good bit of the archery zone inaccessible. Roads that have normal archery zone on one side and badged access archery zone on the other side can only be traveled by badged access archery hunters. That shuts non-badged hunters out of thousands of acres marked as non-badged normal archery areas. Glad I didn't waste a draw on it by getting it as a leftover permit. What a joke.
Click to expand...
What bow area are you talking about?
 
Been hunting Oak Ridge since they opened it and never remember a restriction on Antlers, amazing what I forget and live right next to it ;)
 

Latest posts

Back
Top