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Quota Hunt Pressure

DeerMan66

DeerMan66

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Location
Cleveland TN
I hadn't put in for a quota hunt in years due to being on a lease. I decided to put in for an October quota muzzleloader hunt this year. We'll, I got the hunt. I went to the area a couple weeks ago and scouted it out and picked me a spot. The hunt started today. I walked over half a mile to try to get away from other hunters. It didn't take long for me to remember what hunting on public land is like. Before daylight I saw 6 or 8 flashlights. I heard people talking to each other. One guy had to move his climbing stand that he had brought in ahead of the hunt. Then after daylight I had 2 guys walk right past me. I could've killed a couple does but I chose not to. It made me appreciate being on a lease and remember why I quit putting in for quota hunts.
 
@DeerMan66 Yes that sounds like most quota hunts that I have experienced as well. However, I have also found that if you are able and willing to go into rough country you will see less humans and hunter sign (typically on big WMA's). That is what I have adapted to doing with growing success rates. It creates a harder more uncomfortable but yet more rewarding hunts. I have never been on a lease and rarely had the opportunity to hunt private land. However, I can imagine the awesome benefits that it provides and I'm glad you have had those experiences. Good luck with all future hunts both public and private.
 
I'm willing to put in the time and effort to get further back away from people. This is a smaller WMA with a lot of fields. It's no big deal. I just wanted to vent a litttle.
 
TN quota hunts stack far to many people in far to small of acreage. I recommend trying other states and you will probably start to really enjoy their quota hunts.
 
That sucks for sure.

It's happening more often than it used to, at least IMO. People will see another hunters truck parked in a spot, and park nearby, if not right next to it, and go in right behind them.

In my experience, it's for one of the following reasons....

1. After asking them why, they'll reply, "Well...I left "Muh Stand" back in there." I wish stands were never allowed to be left unoccupied at any time on a WMA. Carry it in, carry it out. That alone would stop 90 percent of the crap.

2. They're using others to scout, or they're scared to be too far from other people.

3. Entitlement. They have hunted that spot for years, or dropped a pin a decade ago, so it's really "theirs."

4. They just don't give a crap.

5. They're hung over, or stoned.

I wish your hunt would've gone better. It's a shame, but common sense and courtesy seem lacking these days on WMA's.
 
I had the same experience as you back in the 80s when they first opened Oak Ridge. I scouted before the hunt and found what I thought was a remote place and located a tree. Got in when the gates were opened and by sunrise, I counted 3 hunters in trees around me within 100 yards and that doesn't include the flashlights that walked past me in the dark. That was the first and last time I quota hunted.
 
I will have my first two quota hunts this year in ML & Rifle. Still need to scout and figure out access routines.

I have always avoided managed areas based on multiple state experiences while in military. The most memorable was driving a couple hours to pheasant hunt and showing up on a map scouted area. When we got to the "corner" with fields I had map selected there had to be 20-30 trucks/cars parked in that stretch of road. Every vehicle still had the hunters inside. Perplexed and worried that maybe there was some weird rule about start of hunting time, we sat there like all the "knowledgeable" "hunters".

Soon a truck pulled up and the hunters got there bird dogs out of the back. A quarter mile of vehicle doors open and everyone got out and lined up at the edge of the field. Except us, we drove away and never looked back. Only one cussing more than me was the hunter with the dogs...
 
I just took my son on his first quota hunt last week. I told him what to expect. I showed him how you melt someone's face with a 2,000 lumen flashlight after they don't respond to a head lamp.
I don't care if you have a blind , a stand or a built log cabin in there. It's first come first serve. You get there first you've got dibs. It's your spot while you're in it. There's no discussion's to be had. The sportsmanship of yesterday is gone. There might be a few people that still do the right thing, but I'm afraid the right thing is not being taught to today's young hunters. He now understands how fortunate he is to have private to hunt.
 
When I hunt WMA's I usually go in at least an hour earlier than I would on private land and get set up, if another hunter put his stand in the night before I hate it for him because I am not moving.
 
That's the very reason your taking a chance putting your stand in there the day before the quota hunt kicks off. Of course it's easier to not have to carry that stuff out the morning of. Of course the disrespectful pieces of chit don't have to make where your parked look like a Walmart parking lot. Why if a truck is already there they can't just move on. I would never in a million years park next to somebody and walk in. To me that's a slap in the face. And you might as well just flipped me the bird.
 
skipperbrown said:
I had the same experience as you back in the 80s when they first opened Oak Ridge. I scouted before the hunt and found what I thought was a remote place and located a tree. Got in when the gates were opened and by sunrise, I counted 3 hunters in trees around me within 100 yards and that doesn't include the flashlights that walked past me in the dark. That was the first and last time I quota hunted.
Click to expand...
Dang, and I really was thinking of that place, but again really worried since oak ridge website states:
"Hunts are limited to 450 shotgun/muzzleloader hunters and 600 archery hunters per weekend, pre-selected in a quota drawing. "
 
Speedwell-Hunter said:
Can you expand on this?
Click to expand...
I've tried following this line of thought for years, and it always seems like I'm a few days behind. The guys scouting and hanging stands run the game out of the area and they the escape routes a few days before the hunt starts.
I've learned this by placing cameras a few weeks prior to the scheduled hunts, I get pics of them fleeing the key areas.

It doesn't hurt to give if your best try anyways.
 

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