Scouting WMA Areas

[Guest frankcostanza]

Well, since my first thread http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17841 hasnt exactly taken off, let me pose this question.

I have never hunted public land before, so I don't really know the rules, regulation, etiquette... whatever. I'm wondering if it is ok to walk the WMA's before the season (I'm thinking spring turkey) to get familiar with the lay of the land and whatnot. I suppose it may be wise to wear some orange, but other than that is there anything I should know?

Also, in the TWRA hunting regulations guide it talks about not trying to locate turkeys with turkey calls between March 1st and opening day, but it doesn't say anything about using owl, crow or other calls. Is it ok to start walking through to try to find birds using these types of calls? Forgive my ignorance... I am brand new to turkey hunting, and new to any type of hunting in Tennessee so any advice about spring turkeys and would be appreciated as well as any thoughts on hunting WMA's.

[Guest Fenris]

I know there are about 30 of them on Priest WMA with at least 5 toms. At least I saw 5 toms a couple of weeks ago.

I don't know much about turkey hunting either. I always run up on them out of season and they seem kind of stupid, but I hear they get a lot more wary during season.

[Guest ALPAdude]

Well, since my first thread http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17841 hasnt exactly taken off, let me pose this question.

I have never hunted public land before, so I don't really know the rules, regulation, etiquette... whatever. I'm wondering if it is ok to walk the WMA's before the season (I'm thinking spring turkey) to get familiar with the lay of the land and whatnot. I suppose it may be wise to wear some orange, but other than that is there anything I should know?

Also, in the TWRA hunting regulations guide it talks about not trying to locate turkeys with turkey calls between March 1st and opening day, but it doesn't say anything about using owl, crow or other calls. Is it ok to start walking through to try to find birds using these types of calls? Forgive my ignorance... I am brand new to turkey hunting, and new to any type of hunting in Tennessee so any advice about spring turkeys and would be appreciated as well as any thoughts on hunting WMA's.

I have scouted a WMA in the off-season. I checked the regs for that particular WMA before doing so. Basically, it didn't prohibit me from being on the land, and there were no other hunting seasons open at the time that I would be interfering with. I am not aware of a rule prohibiting scouting on WMAs in general; however, check the particular WMA in the hunting guide for special rules. You can also call the Regional office and ask to speak to a wildlife officer - I have done this a couple of times to clarify other questions I had that I couldn't find in the book.

As far as locating turkeys...

Got this from the TWRA website: http://www.state.tn.us/twra/wmas.html

Appears that you just can't make turkey sounds, so I guess owl and crow are ok...

"Calling or attempting to call wild turkeys using any sound that mimics those made by a wild turkey is prohibited from March 1 to the opening day of the spring turkey hunts on all WMAs."

I will be a first-time turkey hunter this year... can't wait for the open season!

good luck.

Edited February 24, 2009 by ALPAdude

[Guest Jcochran88]

I believe that you are not allowed to use calls before the season actually begins on wma's but that might be old info.

[Rightwinger]

While its nice that there are still areas open to the public you guys without any other access need to desperately make friends or buy into a lease.

Most WMAs or easily accessible public hunting lands are full during seasons.

I had heard the horror stories but went ahead and tried my luck since I always get a sportmans license and decided to go to AEDC on the edge of Manchester. Scouted it about 3 weeks prior to the opening day and marked off my mileage to where I was going to pull off the road. Checked and found out it was ok to use the reflector thumbtacks and found a "decent" spot about 100 yards off a small river/large creek on the southeast side of the post. Got up early, went to my parking spot and saw only one other truck on the whole post going in. Thought this was not going to be to bad. Humped in about half a click and got the climber hooked up and was in the tree and settled about an hour to 45 minutes before daylight. Then I heard vehicles coming and going out on the road. After that had to wave off two hunters walking in on my spot by shining the flash light on them. Stayed in the tree until 10 am and didn't see or hear a thing, including gun shots. Climbed down and headed to the truck. On my way out I passed three hunters either on the ground or in trees much closer to the road. When I get out to the road, there was a truck every 100 yards as far as I could see. No wonder there weren't any deer! There was no where for them to be!

Find a buddy, buy into a lease, do anything you can to get access to better hunting land. It wil be much more worth it and hold your interest. At least that way you might see a squirrel or coyote, something. Not just a bunch of other folks looking at one another.

Sorry if this was a downer. Others will probably have more positive stories. I'm just glad I have the family farm and my lease to go to as well as some friends to change things up.

[Guest ALPAdude]

While its nice that there are still areas open to the public you guys without any other access need to desperately make friends or buy into a lease.

Most WMAs or easily accessible public hunting lands are full during seasons.

I had heard the horror stories but went ahead and tried my luck since I always get a sportmans license and decided to go to AEDC on the edge of Manchester. Scouted it about 3 weeks prior to the opening day and marked off my mileage to where I was going to pull off the road. Checked and found out it was ok to use the reflector thumbtacks and found a "decent" spot about 100 yards off a small river/large creek on the southeast side of the post. Got up early, went to my parking spot and saw only one other truck on the whole post going in. Thought this was not going to be to bad. Humped in about half a click and got the climber hooked up and was in the tree and settled about an hour to 45 minutes before daylight. Then I heard vehicles coming and going out on the road. After that had to wave off two hunters walking in on my spot by shining the flash light on them. Stayed in the tree until 10 am and didn't see or hear a thing, including gun shots. Climbed down and headed to the truck. On my way out I passed three hunters either on the ground or in trees much closer to the road. When I get out to the road, there was a truck every 100 yards as far as I could see. No wonder there weren't any deer! There was no where for them to be!

Find a buddy, buy into a lease, do anything you can to get access to better hunting land. It wil be much more worth it and hold your interest. At least that way you might see a squirrel or coyote, something. Not just a bunch of other folks looking at one another.

Sorry if this was a downer. Others will probably have more positive stories. I'm just glad I have the family farm and my lease to go to as well as some friends to change things up.

Agreed - once gun season opens. I have a hunting lease about 2 hours from my house, and that is where I hunt once deer gun season opens. I have stories similar to yours on public land. However, I find the WMAs to be very productive with little hunting pressure during early bow season. I usually opt for the WMA during the early season since there are a couple of them pretty close to my house.

[DaveS]

WMA's are nice areas to hunt. You just need to tolerate 4-wheelers with loud mufflers driving through the woods tearing everything up....really hard to enjoy your hunt!

Dave

[Guest Fenris]

WMA's are nice areas to hunt. You just need to tolerate 4-wheelers with loud mufflers driving through the woods tearing everything up....really hard to enjoy your hunt!

Dave

You've been out to Priest on the weekends, I see.

[DaveS]

No, Just Barkley WMA where ATV use is restricted by law, but trying to get a TWRA officer to do his job is almost impossible! There are gangs of them there and they even have a race course set up. We have tried and tried to speak personally with the wildlife officer to no avail. So I am probably done with WMAs.