Tennessee river wildlife refuge quota

[ditchpickle]

Any success stories on the draw hunt this weekend? Heard very few shots

 

[BSK]

Very few shots from "The Remainder" for Duck River hunt, both quota and non-quota.

 

[ditchpickle]

Very few shots from "The Remainder" for Duck River hunt, both quota and non-quota.

I was actually on the Duck River Bottoms side and heard fewer shots than I have ever witnessed. Very surprising with the weather that we had.

 

[Deer Assassin]

i did on the early draw hunt and primitive hunt

 

[BSK]

I was actually on the Duck River Bottoms side and heard fewer shots than I have ever witnessed. Very surprising with the weather that we had.

I remember back in the day when it would sound like a war zone over there. But after years of knocking the deer population down with Earn-A-Buck regs, what can you expect.

Had they cut most of the corn out of the Bottoms when you hunted?

 

[ditchpickle]

I Totally agree, the earn a buck devastated most of these places. I went to Big Sandy last year and it was the same way. Minimal shots there last year as well but it was unseasonably warm that weekend that we drew. Perhaps with removing the earn a buck, these places will bounce back. I always enjoy these quota hunts because it's a great way to get the old band back together and have fun with friends and family. Yes, most of the corn has been cut.

 

[BSK]

Yes, the population is starting to bounce back, but it will take another couple of years to see it like it was, in it's glory days.

 

[Deer Assassin]

i have successfully killed or some one in my party for the last 10 years

I haven't noticed a decline in population

 

[BSK]

i have successfully killed or some one in my party for the last 10 years

I haven't noticed a decline in population

In the Duck River National Wildlife Refuge????? Population is about 25% of what it used to be (in and around The Bottoms section).

 

[Deer Assassin]

In the Duck River National Wildlife Refuge????? Population is about 25% of what it used to be (in and around The Bottoms section).

remainder to be exact

 

[ditchpickle]

In the Duck River National Wildlife Refuge????? Population is about 25% of what it used to be (in and around The Bottoms section).

i have successfully killed or some one in my party for the last 10 years

I haven't noticed a decline in population

We have too including some really big bucks but I can tell you first hand that it does not hold a candle to what it used to be 20 years ago. We hunt all of them and it is a noticeable difference. There is not a fraction of the deer that was once there. It used to sound like a war zone the first day of the quota.

 

[TX300mag]

I've hunted it several times over the last 10 years. I've killed several, never been on a quota hunt where there weren't a few deer killed in my group. Had something come up this year at last minute and didn't go. Decided not to during MZ, too since kids can use rifle in CWD.

If population is bouncing back I look forward to hunting it more.

 

[Deer Assassin]

I've hunted it several times over the last 10 years. I've killed several, never been on a quota hunt where there weren't a few deer killed in my group. Had something come up this year at last minute and didn't go. Decided not to during MZ, too since kids can use rifle in CWD.

If population is bouncing back I look forward to hunting it more.

dont forget asian carp kills

 

[ditchpickle]

I've hunted it several times over the last 10 years. I've killed several, never been on a quota hunt where there weren't a few deer killed in my group. Had something come up this year at last minute and didn't go. Decided not to during MZ, too since kids can use rifle in CWD.

If population is bouncing back I look forward to hunting it

 

[BSK]

We have too including some really big bucks but I can tell you first hand that it does not hold a candle to what it used to be 20 years ago. We hunt all of them and it is a noticeable difference. There is not a fraction of the deer that was once there. It used to sound like a war zone the first day of the quota.

I've watched the Refuge (again, the Remainder surround The Bottoms section) for 37 years. It used to hold so many deer the trails into the hills looked like cattle paths. Now, it holds a small fraction of the deer it used to hold. It is bouncing back, but they only ended the Earn-A-Buck last year, so it will take another 3-5 years to see a significant increase in population.

 

[TheLBLman]

Now, it holds a small fraction of the deer it used to hold. It is bouncing back, but they only ended the Earn-A-Buck last year, so it will take another 3-5 years to see a significant increase in population.

I don't think this will ever happen.
Once the deer density APPEARS to be noticeably increasing,
they will reinstitute "earn a buck" and/or simply start "sharp-shooting" the deer themselves.

These are not really "wildlife" refuges so much as they are "waterfowl" refuges.
To most federal refuge managers, deer seem to be a liability, not an asset.

 

[BSK]

These are not really "wildlife" refuges so much as they are "waterfowl" refuges.
To most federal refuge managers, deer seem to be a liability, not an asset.

I have talked to the Refuge managers, and this view is correct. They HATE the deer because they eat the crops being grown for the migratory birds. The managers would be thrilled if there were no deer.