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Tennessee Public Land Hunt

CooterBrown

CooterBrown

Well-Known Member
SH Member
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Sep 1, 2020
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Where should I hunt for an out of state hunt in TN on public land? I bought my license for a job trip and hunted Yanahli WMA a few evenings and 2 days. Saw several nice bucks but no kills. Since I already have my TN out of state license, I'm thinking I'll take a week off and hunt sometime in November. Where is the best for trophy bucks and when is the rut in that area.
 
Top counties for P&Y Entries are: Montgomery, Shelby, Robertson, Anderson, Roane

Top counties for P&Y Entries per Human Population are: Stewart, Pickett, Van Buren, Humphrey, Jackson

Top counties for P&Y Entries per Square Mile are: Montgomery, Anderson, Roane, Robertson, Shelby

Montgomery County comes in at #19 out of 95 counties when it comes to P&Y per population, which isn't shabby.

5 minutes of googling reveals Fort Campbell and Haynes Bottom WMA. Fort Campbell is pretty big and I actually know some guys who hunt the Kentucky side of it and do well. Haynes Bottom has boat access and is 1000 acres and bow-only.

Cumberland River runs through the county, but I can't see if there is COE or utility property open to hunting without digging deeper than I care to right now.
 
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Haynes has a lot of ag. Based on what I've seen in Alabama and Mississippi, small parcels primarily managed for waterfowl that have ag hold deer. I'd hunt the crap out of it if I lived nearby.

Kinda wonder if that's what Catman hunts. I know I've seen ag in his videos and he goes by boat sometime. Isn't he from Tennessee?
 
Also, if you're from the county I think you're from, you'd be going from a county with 0 P&Y deer on record to one with 23. It ain't great in the grand scheme of things, but I'd bet my hat you'd have a blast. That's more trophies than any state in Alabama.
 
Nutterbuster said:
Top counties for P&Y Entries are: Montgomery, Shelby, Robertson, Anderson, Roane

Top counties for P&Y Entries per Human Population are: Stewart, Pickett, Van Buren, Humphrey, Jackson

Top counties for P&Y Entries per Square Mile are: Montgomery, Anderson, Roane, Robertson, Shelby

Montgomery County comes in at #19 out of 95 counties when it comes to P&Y per population, which isn't shabby.

5 minutes of googling reveals Fort Campbell and Haynes Bottom WMA. Fort Campbell is pretty big and I actually know some guys who hunt the Kentucky side of it and do well. Haynes Bottom has boat access and is 1000 acres and bow-only.

Cumberland River runs through the county, but I can't see if there is COE or utility property open to hunting without digging deeper than I care to right now.
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Scratch Shelby county from any consideration. That is the Memphis metro area and you will be well served to avoid it accept for interstate travel with the doors locked and the safety off.
 
Hardeman county throws a bunch of good deer but I am not sure what there is there for public ground. It is also in the CWD zone if that is of concern for you. The CWD zone is a 5-6 county area in the SW art of the state.
 
Nutterbuster said:
View attachment 74274

Haynes has a lot of ag. Based on what I've seen in Alabama and Mississippi, small parcels primarily managed for waterfowl that have ag hold deer. I'd hunt the crap out of it if I lived nearby.

Kinda wonder if that's what Catman hunts. I know I've seen ag in his videos and he goes by boat sometime. Isn't he from Tennessee?
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No. Catman hunts lower middle Tn.


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Montgomery is adjacent to Anderson. Seems like that stretch of the Cumberland may be good habitat. Cedar Hill Swamp WMA looks good. Thick, swampy woods in the middle of a mostly agricultural county.

Cedar Hill and Haynes are only an hour apart from each other. 45 and 30 minute drive respectively from Clarksville, which looks like a decently-sized city.

If it was me I'd find a cheap motel or RV campground near Clarksville and hit both places. A week gives you plenty of time to scout both areas and make a call.
 
Born and raised in Clarksville. It’s not the deer mecca ol’ @Nutterbuster might have you believe (heavily hunted on private, loads of military guys hunting from Campbell), but it’s better in my opinion than any WMA right around Nashville like Yanahli or Percy Priest. Haynes Bottom is very heavily duck-focused—I’ve never known anyone to deer hunt it, as you can’t get in the bottoms during duck season except to waterfowl hunt. As always, read up on the regs (linked here). I’ve never personally hunted em, but I’d look long and hard at Land Between the Lakes and Barkley WMA. I’ve heard good things about Big Sandy WMA, too. Those three are far enough away from population centers that you should see a pretty big drop-off in pressure. That’s my untested theory, though, so take it with a grain of salt.
The rut is hottest about the second week in November, but anywhere from Nov. 5-18 or so would be good.
 
Thanks for all of the input. I somehow missed seeing the response until now.
 
Weldabeast said:
I remember catman telling me he outta Franklin ...I sure wish I would have been into hunting when I lived up there ...so much better than Florida
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My guess he is hunting mostly Percy Priest. I believe he is from Franklin. Yes, like you I wish I had been into hunting when I lived in Nashville. Catman sees more deer in one hunt than I see in a month down here.
 
Huge bucks and flocks of turkey in my backyard all the time....I lived in goodletsville and worked in Ashland city so driving those back roads in the hills and hollers I would see new roadkill deer almost daily
 
NMSbowhunter said:
My guess he is hunting mostly Percy Priest. I believe he is from Franklin. Yes, like you I wish I had been into hunting when I lived in Nashville. Catman sees more deer in one hunt than I see in a month down here.
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Franklin county to Percy Priest is a long way. Don't see him hunting there. Maybe I'm wrong.
 
opps Franklin County or Franklin City? My bad I was referring to franklin county.
 
The city of Franklin which is attached to the southern side of Nashville. It would be a pretty short trip (miles) from Franklin to Percy Priest. My guess is PP since a lot of his videos show water access. This is just a guess on my part. He has a lot of deer though. I'm a fan of his channel for sure.
 
NMSbowhunter said:
The city of Franklin which is attached to the southern side of Nashville. It would be a pretty short trip (miles) from Franklin to Percy Priest. My guess is PP since a lot of his videos show water access. This is just a guess on my part. He has a lot of deer though. I'm a fan of his channel for sure.
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Me too. I got confused because I was looking for a place in Franklin County and knew it was a ways from PP. Sorry for mishap.
 
Ha, no worries. I used to like up there so I kinda know where things are.
 
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