South Cherokee Harvest Data

[CATCHDAWG]

Who created these bear reserves. Wasn't it the TWRA? If not who? Don't understand why it would be hard to reverse it. Is it because of wilderness areas?

Pretty sure the reserves where there before TWRA, not 100% though. But, they are federal reserves on federal land. TWRA is obviously a state agency. As I stated in my other reply, it was a act of Congress to create and would take another act to remove them. @scn could probably explain it much better than I can.

 

[Willysman]

Pretty sure the reserves where there before TWRA, not 100% though. But, they are federal reserves on federal land. TWRA is obviously a state agency. As I stated in my other reply, it was a act of Congress to create and would take another act to remove them. @scn could probably explain it much better than I can.

I have hunted the South Cherokee since I was a boy. ( I'm 76 now.) The old Game and Fish (TWRA now) was, as now, in cooperation with the USFS for management of the game probably since the 40s. I do remember hunting for years in the Citico area before it became a bear reserve and later the Citico wilderness At that time a bear was legal game. I remember when the bear reserves were established. Just don't remember the year. I can't say for sure but I believe the TWRA had a big hand in creating the bear reserves as the bear is where they have concentrated all their management on the South Cherokee.

 

[Rancocas]

I heard that problem bears, ones that raid trashcans and get too close to people up in the Smokies, are sometimes trapped and brought down here for release in the Ocoee Bear Preserve.
A few years ago I did encounter a very large bear south of the Ocoee River that had a bright yellow tag in its ear. It paid no attention to me and simply walked away.

 

[scn]

Pretty sure the reserves where there before TWRA, not 100% though. But, they are federal reserves on federal land. TWRA is obviously a state agency. As I stated in my other reply, it was a act of Congress to create and would take another act to remove them. @scn could probably explain it much better than I can.

In the late 70's, early 80's, the bear kill in TN was somewhere around 30 bears/yr. There was actually consideration of closing the season. A TWRA working group came up with some plans to make some major changes to try to see if anything could be done to prevent that.

A good friend of mine had completed his research on denning habits of black bears. In it, he found that in a lot of years that females went to their den much earlier than males. By shifting the hunting dates from October and November to December, you could shift the harvest away from females. With their low reproductive potential, it was a major deal. So, those changes were made, and the kill percentage shifted dramatically to the males.

The other major thing they did was work with the USFS to set up bear reserves on both the North and South Cherokee WMA. By not allowing bear hunting in these areas, it provided some refuge from hunting for the bears.

And, Operation Smokey, an undercover investigation with TWRA and the USFWS ended with the arrests of 80+ illegal hunters in TN, NC, and GA in 1988. That operation curtailed SOME of the illegal bear hunting for several years.

All of this together has lead to our modern day bear population and kill. Back when I was working it MANY years ago, I would not have dreamed that it would get to this point. I guess in theory that the bear reserves could be done away with. But, it will take changing the proclamations that set them up. I'm not sure where TWRA and the Forest Service would stand on such changes.

 

[TheLBLman]

Good Info, SCN!

All of this together has lead to our modern day bear population and kill. Back when I was working it MANY years ago, I would not have dreamed that it would get to this point. I guess in theory that the bear reserves could be done away with. But, it will take changing the proclamations that set them up. I'm not sure where TWRA and the Forest Service would stand on such changes.

I just wish TWRA would STOP EXPANDING the bear range to the West!

Is it "legal" to shoot a bear in West TN?
If not, TWRA is complicit in expanding bears there.
The People in West TN (and most of Middle) do not want these bears.

 

[scn]

Good Info, SCN!


I just wish TWRA would STOP EXPANDING the bear range to the West!

Is it "legal" to shoot a bear in West TN?
If not, TWRA is complicit in expanding bears there.
The People in West TN (and most of Middle) do not want these bears.

Bear hunting is only open in the counties listed by proclamation. There are no open counties in Middle or WTN.

What scientific survey have you done to be able to say that bears aren't wanted out here?

And, I don't see any real chance of it happening. The few that are seen are primarily subadult males that are wandering through. There has been no evidence that a breeding population has been established in WTN.

There may be some issues on some of the MidTN counties that are closer to the Plateau. I suspect if they continue to increase that you will see some counties opened up to killing them.

 

[Willysman]

In the late 70's, early 80's, the bear kill in TN was somewhere around 30 bears/yr. There was actually consideration of closing the season. A TWRA working group came up with some plans to make some major changes to try to see if anything could be done to prevent that.

A good friend of mine had completed his research on denning habits of black bears. In it, he found that in a lot of years that females went to their den much earlier than males. By shifting the hunting dates from October and November to December, you could shift the harvest away from females. With their low reproductive potential, it was a major deal. So, those changes were made, and the kill percentage shifted dramatically to the males.

The other major thing they did was work with the USFS to set up bear reserves on both the North and South Cherokee WMA. By not allowing bear hunting in these areas, it provided some refuge from hunting for the bears.

And, Operation Smokey, an undercover investigation with TWRA and the USFWS ended with the arrests of 80+ illegal hunters in TN, NC, and GA in 1988. That operation curtailed SOME of the illegal bear hunting for several years.

All of this together has lead to our modern day bear population and kill. Back when I was working it MANY years ago, I would not have dreamed that it would get to this point. I guess in theory that the bear reserves could be done away with. But, it will take changing the proclamations that set them up. I'm not sure where TWRA and the Forest Service would stand on such changes.

Good information. I do remember in 1972, this was when they still had quota hunts. For anyone familiar with the Tellico area we were camped at the Crowder Field, you could still drive in there then, when someone came in and told us that after the hunt we were on that all big game hunting would be closed for 5 years due to the lack of big game. They didn't even finish the other two quota hunts that had been scheduled.

 

[shootsme1]

i grew up hunting stars and benton mtn was lucky enough to see some good bucks but never able too get one but have seen some real good deer come from these mtns .

 

[Rancocas]

i grew up hunting stars and benton mtn was lucky enough to see some good bucks but never able too get one but have seen some real good deer come from these mtns .

Shhhh. My best buck came off Starr Mtn.
Starr Mountain; named for Caleb Starr, a Pennsylvania Quaker who married a Cherokee and raised a family there, until they were all forced to go to Oklahoma in 1838 on "The Trail of Tears". Caleb was old then and did not survive that long walk.

 

[Chickencoop96]

I have hunted the South Cherokee since I was a boy. ( I'm 76 now.) The old Game and Fish (TWRA now) was, as now, in cooperation with the USFS for management of the game probably since the 40s. I do remember hunting for years in the Citico area before it became a bear reserve and later the Citico wilderness At that time a bear was legal game. I remember when the bear reserves were established. Just don't remember the year. I can't say for sure but I believe the TWRA had a big hand in creating the bear reserves as the bear is where they have concentrated all their management on the South Cherokee.

I never understood why there is still such a focus on bear. From what i understand bear is apparently not all that good to eat, and i couldn't imagine having to pack one out. and there are several other game animals that need more attention than the black bear in south Cherokee such as deer and grouse.

 

[Willysman]

I never understood why there is still such a focus on bear. From what i understand bear is apparently not all that good to eat, and i couldn't imagine having to pack one out. and there are several other game animals that need more attention than the black bear in south Cherokee such as deer and grouse.

Amen.