Jump to content

TN bear hunts.


Recommended Posts

Have any if you been on one of the group dog hunts in Cherokee? My group drew the first weekend in October to hunt Upper Tellico. I've never set foot in Cherokee before & I'm trying to figure out my gun options. I'm led to believe it's pretty close range hunting, so I'm torn between my .358 win or my super light & handy 336/.44

The 358 is scoped & great out to 300yds, the 44 is strictly a short range proposition (310gn cast boolets...). I'm not even sure I'd risk anything much over 75yds with the thing, but at 50, I can dump all 6 in one hole.

What say y'all?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
9 minutes ago, alleycat72 said:

A buddy of mine has actually wing-shot a pig with one of those, from a moving airboat. At night. With a spotlight.

That's about the most redneck thing I can think of! :D

  • Like 1
Link to comment
22 minutes ago, robtattoo said:

A buddy of mine has actually wing-shot a pig with one of those, from a moving airboat. At night. With a spotlight.

That's about the most redneck thing I can think of! :D

Was he or someone nearby drinking a beer and/ or working on a truck at the same time?

Link to comment

I lived in that area for a while.  What Peejman said.  You won't be taking any long shots.  The norm around there for bear hunters is to drink heavily, trespass, assault landowners when confronted about trespassing, hunt from the road, and block the road for long periods of time.  As such, a lot of people who generally don't mind hunting, are fence sitters, or even people that hunt, but don't bear hunt, don't care for bear hunters.  It's a very strange dynamic and people either seem to be very pro bear hunting, or very anti bear hunting.  Just some observations that I thought I would pass along 

  • Wow 1
Link to comment
25 minutes ago, peejman said:

I'm not a bear hunter but I know a few of them and I know the terrain.   Short range all the way.  The dogs run the bear up a tree. You walk up to the tree and shoot the bear. Then the work begins. 

Just be sure not to stand under it when you shoot it....

spacer.png

Link to comment
1 hour ago, 10-Ring said:

I lived in that area for a while.  What Peejman said.  You won't be taking any long shots.  The norm around there for bear hunters is to drink heavily, trespass, assault landowners when confronted about trespassing, hunt from the road, and block the road for long periods of time.  As such, a lot of people who generally don't mind hunting, are fence sitters, or even people that hunt, but don't bear hunt, don't care for bear hunters.  It's a very strange dynamic and people either seem to be very pro bear hunting, or very anti bear hunting.  Just some observations that I thought I would pass along 

Oh Lord..... I really hope that isn't the case this time. This isn't my first bear hunt, but it is my first of this type. I'll tell you now, if my group shows this type of behaviour, I for one will be packing up & leaving. I want no part of any of that. 😢

Link to comment
6 hours ago, 10-Ring said:

I lived in that area for a while.  What Peejman said.  You won't be taking any long shots.  The norm around there for bear hunters is to drink heavily, trespass, assault landowners when confronted about trespassing, hunt from the road, and block the road for long periods of time.  As such, a lot of people who generally don't mind hunting, are fence sitters, or even people that hunt, but don't bear hunt, don't care for bear hunters.  It's a very strange dynamic and people either seem to be very pro bear hunting, or very anti bear hunting.  Just some observations that I thought I would pass along 

I didn't want to bias him, but yeah.  Except he left out the part about letting the dogs run loose for days, kill chickens, attack pets, ...   I've heard plenty of such stories from people who live adjacent to the WMA's.  Could be similar to other things in that you never hear about the positive experiences, but bear hunters are kinda like lawyers... 99% of them give the rest a bad name.  Folks here are glad bear season is short. 

Link to comment
15 minutes ago, E4 No More said:

Personally, I don't see much sport in having a pack of dogs run down, and tree, an animal so that you can casually walk up to the tree and shoot it.

You stole my words. I don't understand it at all. 

Link to comment

Well basicly it has to do with the terrain. Its steep rough country in east Tn. where most of the bears are. Its traditionally been done that way for a long time. Bear numbers are way lower too, than say some of the provinces of Canada. In Canada, baiting is popular and works good.

Edited by Quavodus
Link to comment
9 hours ago, robtattoo said:

Oh Lord..... I really hope that isn't the case this time. This isn't my first bear hunt, but it is my first of this type. I'll tell you now, if my group shows this type of behaviour, I for one will be packing up & leaving. I want no part of any of that. 😢

You don't strike me as the kind of fella that would want to be associated with that crowd.  I hope your party is like minded and y'all have a fun and successful hunt.   If you are hunting the area that I believe you are you will be East of Tellico Plains along the Cherohala Skyway.  Beautiful area, if you get off the pavement and use the forest service roads you won't have any issues.  When I used to do a lot of dual sport dirt biking in that area I never had any issues with the hunters that I crossed paths with back there (of course I was polite, and didn't go flying past them). Ironically the hunters out in the woods were easy to get along with and pleasant to speak with.  It was the ones with a dog on the hood running down a heavily traveled paved road that would get mad because a motorcycle was too loud and would spook their dog.  

  • Like 1
Link to comment
34 minutes ago, peejman said:

Watch out for people on horseback on the FS roads. I'd hope they'd be smart enough not to be out there during bear season with dogs running around and gun fire, but you never know. 

They are not. The forest service roads are the way to go... gets you away from the chaos near the main roads. However we did run into two different groups on horse back.... not a bit of orange in sight and none of them had a clue it was hunting season. 

Link to comment
On 8/22/2019 at 7:56 AM, 10-Ring said:

I lived in that area for a while.  What Peejman said.  You won't be taking any long shots.  The norm around there for bear hunters is to drink heavily, trespass, assault landowners when confronted about trespassing, hunt from the road, and block the road for long periods of time.  As such, a lot of people who generally don't mind hunting, are fence sitters, or even people that hunt, but don't bear hunt, don't care for bear hunters.  It's a very strange dynamic and people either seem to be very pro bear hunting, or very anti bear hunting.  Just some observations that I thought I would pass along 

Damn, I'd be down for that. Load blanks in everyone's gun and watch chaos ensue, but I've also been to several train wrecks. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
  • 7 months later...
On 8/22/2019 at 4:10 PM, E4 No More said:

Personally, I don't see much sport in having a pack of dogs run down, and tree, an animal so that you can casually walk up to the tree and shoot it.

That is one of the oldest sports there is. It is everybit as sporting as sitting In a stand waiting on a deer and a lot more work.  You can be selective on the bear you take by using dogs. Instead of maybe getting a chance at a bear 1 time in a season. I’ve treed 5-6 bear a day. 

Link to comment
11 hours ago, Johnny reb said:

That is one of the oldest sports there is. It is everybit as sporting as sitting In a stand waiting on a deer and a lot more work.  You can be selective on the bear you take by using dogs. Instead of maybe getting a chance at a bear 1 time in a season. I’ve treed 5-6 bear a day. 

I don't hunt at all, (although I would if I needed to), but at least in a tree stand you have to do some leg-work figuring out where best to place the stand - or go by blind luck. Dogs have much better eyesight, hearing, smell, and speed than a human. I'd be more impressed if a pack of humans were to tree a bear.

Link to comment
4 hours ago, E4 No More said:

Dogs have much better eyesight, hearing, smell, and speed than a human.

As regards eyesight, this statement not only contradicts my own experience with dogs in the woods, but Linkoping University in Sweden has demonstrated that a human's visual acuity is about three times that of a dog's.   Of course vision is a human's primary sense, whereas a dog's primary sense is smell.  

Link to comment
17 hours ago, Johnny reb said:

That is one of the oldest sports there is. It is everybit as sporting as sitting In a stand waiting on a deer and a lot more work.  You can be selective on the bear you take by using dogs. Instead of maybe getting a chance at a bear 1 time in a season. I’ve treed 5-6 bear a day. 

What kind of hounds do you hunt ?

Link to comment
1 hour ago, Whisper said:

As regards eyesight, this statement not only contradicts my own experience with dogs in the woods, but Linkoping University in Sweden has demonstrated that a human's visual acuity is about three times that of a dog's.   Of course vision is a human's primary sense, whereas a dog's primary sense is smell.  

Yeah, now that I think about it that's probably true since they see in grey scale and the bear hunting is presumably in the daytime. But the other things hold true.

Link to comment
7 hours ago, E4 No More said:

I don't hunt at all, (although I would if I needed to), but at least in a tree stand you have to do some leg-work figuring out where best to place the stand - or go by blind luck. Dogs have much better eyesight, hearing, smell, and speed than a human. I'd be more impressed if a pack of humans were to tree a bear.

No disrespect meant but you obviously don’t have a clue how hound hunting works. Talking about legwork I would almost guarantee there’s been days I’ve put more miles than most do in a year. Hound hunting is very misunderstood by the majority of the public. That’s a shame that we as hunters are so divided. We have all the PETA, HSUS, and other bunny huggers trying to dismantle us from the outside. Then we as hunters are dismantling ourselves from the inside doing there work for them. I hear it all the time from people saying I don’t care if they stop hound hunting it has nothing to do them. Yes it does when they get one form of hunting done away with there not going away. They will set there sights on the next group. We as hunters and sportsman now more than ever and support each other. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
7 hours ago, Johnny reb said:

No disrespect meant but you obviously don’t have a clue how hound hunting works. Talking about legwork I would almost guarantee there’s been days I’ve put more miles than most do in a year. Hound hunting is very misunderstood by the majority of the public. That’s a shame that we as hunters are so divided. We have all the PETA, HSUS, and other bunny huggers trying to dismantle us from the outside. Then we as hunters are dismantling ourselves from the inside doing there work for them. I hear it all the time from people saying I don’t care if they stop hound hunting it has nothing to do them. Yes it does when they get one form of hunting done away with there not going away. They will set there sights on the next group. We as hunters and sportsman now more than ever and support each other. 

I believe you're talking about a different kind of legwork. If you stand hunt, you have to do your homework (legwork),  to find a good place to setup.  I don't (haven't done it seriously) bear hunt but I'd imagine it's more difficult finding one of them than it is to find a deer.  With dogs, as long as there are bears in the vicinity, they will find them for you, even though it may wear your soles out. 

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

TRADING POST NOTICE

Before engaging in any transaction of goods or services on TGO, all parties involved must know and follow the local, state and Federal laws regarding those transactions.

TGO makes no claims, guarantees or assurances regarding any such transactions.

THE FINE PRINT

Tennessee Gun Owners (TNGunOwners.com) is the premier Community and Discussion Forum for gun owners, firearm enthusiasts, sportsmen and Second Amendment proponents in the state of Tennessee and surrounding region.

TNGunOwners.com (TGO) is a presentation of Enthusiast Productions. The TGO state flag logo and the TGO tri-hole "icon" logo are trademarks of Tennessee Gun Owners. The TGO logos and all content presented on this site may not be reproduced in any form without express written permission. The opinions expressed on TGO are those of their authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the site's owners or staff.

TNGunOwners.com (TGO) is not a lobbying organization and has no affiliation with any lobbying organizations.  Beware of scammers using the Tennessee Gun Owners name, purporting to be Pro-2A lobbying organizations!

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to the following.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Guidelines
 
We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.